Convicted child rapist dies by suicide at Manatee County Jail, cops say
An inmate who was facing life in prison after being convicting of raping a young girl, took his own life late Monday night, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 11:59 p.m., correctional officers discovered 46-year-old Mark Suiter alone in his cell with a sheet wrapped around his neck, deputies say. A hand-written note was also found in the cell.
A jury found Suiter guilty of sexual battery in September.
“We hope the verdict brings closure and restores a sense of justice to the innocent victim child preyed upon by the defendant. We are thankful that the verdict means that no other child will fall victim to the defendant,” Assistant State Attorney Lauren P. Benson said in an issued statement at the time.
According to a sheriff’s office release, Suiter made no indication to staff that he intended to harm himself and was not under suicide watch at the time of his death.
Deputies and medical staff removed the sheet and began CPR efforts on Suiter. He was pronounced dead at 12:27 a.m. Tuesday.
Suiter was set to be sentenced on Friday. He previously served multiple sentences in prison in the 1990s for various convictions, including threatening harm to a public office, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance.
This story was originally published October 8, 2019 at 4:35 PM.
