A Texas man who had simply been convicted of 5 counts of kid sexual assault has died — seemingly poisoned whereas the decision in opposition to him was being learn!
In keeping with CNN, 57-year-old Edward Leclair (pictured above) was on trial on the courthouse in Denton, Texas final week on little one sexual assault allegations. He had been free on bond throughout the trial, however issues modified because the jury got here again with their resolution.
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Leclair was initially charged again in 2020 with 5 sexual assault counts involving the identical underage sufferer. That particular person was recognized as “an individual between the age of 14 and 17,” per Individuals. The previous Navy mechanic and company recruiter pleaded not responsible. He had been dealing with as much as 100 years in jail if convicted.
On Thursday afternoon, the jury got here again from deliberations and returned the responsible verdict in opposition to Leclair on all 5 counts. However as the decision was being learn into the court docket document, Leclair started ingesting a mysterious liquid from a water bottle on the defendant’s desk.
His lawyer, Mike Howard, recalled the scenario in an interview afterwards with NBC Information. The lawyer stated his consumer was “dejected and in shell shock, all of the stuff you would count on” because the responsible verdict was being learn.
However Leclair was additionally taking motion, because it turned out — by ingesting out of a plastic water bottle at his desk:
“I appeared over and seen him ingesting. His hand was shaking. On the time, I assumed it was shaking due to the decision. Then he stored ingesting and ingesting.”
Different individuals within the courtroom seen the act, too. After the responsible verdict was learn, Leclair was taken again to a holding cell contained in the courthouse to await switch. Nonetheless, issues didn’t fairly add up for these in attendance.
Denton County prosecutor Jamie Beck spoke to CNN in regards to the scenario, explaining that the state’s investigator within the courtroom was instantly suspicious in regards to the water bottle chug. Beck asserted the liquid within the water bottle appeared “cloudy,” in keeping with the information outlet. The prosecutor added:
“As these verdicts have been being learn, he chugged a bottle of water he had at counsel desk. Our investigator seen him chug the water. He informed the bailiff he would possibly wish to go examine on him. The bailiff did. He was unconscious within the holding cell.”
Simply minutes after Leclair was taken out of the courtroom, he received sick. Howard defined:
“Shortly after getting into the holdover cell, he began vomiting, and emergency providers have been known as.”
Medics rushed in to revive the convicted intercourse offender, however they weren’t profitable. Leclair was rushed to a hospital, the place he was pronounced useless at 3:21 p.m. native time on Thursday.
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Now the health worker’s workplace will carry out an post-mortem in a while Monday to find out Leclair’s explanation for loss of life. A toxicology report has been ordered to seek out out what was within the water bottle, too. Nonetheless, as CNN notes, it could be a number of weeks earlier than outcomes can be found.
What was in that bottle? Did Leclair know? It actually looks like it…
Right here is extra on the story, from native outlet 12NewsNow:
Wow.
What an unsettling scenario.
[Image via Frisco Police Department/Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth/YouTube]
