Accused Murderer Dead After Jail Suicide

A Hannibal man facing charges of first-degree murder was found hanged in his jail cell Thursday evening. At a press conference Friday afternoon, Marion County Sheriff Jimmy Shinn says his staff discovered 37 year-old Timothy Brokes lifeless in a single holding cell around 8:46 p.m. Thursday. Brokes had hung himself using a sheet. Corrections personnel immediately freed Brokes from the sheet and began CPR until EMS arrived.

Staff had last seen Brokes alive less than an hour before, around 7:49 p.m. A suicide note was found in Brokes' cell.

Brokes was charged with murder in the shooting death of Brittany Gauch in 2016, and the wounding of Aaron Gauch, her husband. He was later apprehended in Monroe City after a shootout with a Monroe City Police officer.

He was being held on three separate charges: Murder 1st Degree, Assault 1st Degree, and Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer.

Brokes had appeared in person in Monroe County Court in Paris Thursday, before Judge Rachel Bringer-Shepherd. Although the defendant counsel's Motion to Dismiss was denied, the court did grant a Motion to Disqualify the Monroe County and Marion County Prosecutor's Office and certain staff from the Attorney General's Office.

Sheriff Shinn says because the Marion County Sheriff's Office was involved in the arrest of Brokes in 2016, Shinn requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigate the suicide case.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT MARION COUNTY JAIL

In a separate incident, Sheriff Shinn says a 50 year-old inmate is in serious condition after an attempted suicide Tuesday evening. Corrections officers found the man unresponsive at 11:45 p.m.after he was found hanging by a bed sheet in his cell. Staff initiated CPR and were able to get a pulse back. EMS arrived and rushed the man to an area hospital. The name of the inmate was not released, but Shinn says he had been brought to the jail in February on Domestic Assault charges.

No foul play is suspected. The Missouri Highway Patrol will also conduct an investigation in conjunction with the Marion County Sheriff's Office.