Midwest City jail death called suicide
MIDWEST CITY — Shortly after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early Sunday, Kathleen Collier-Melchior told Midwest City jail staff that she planned to hurt herself.
About an hour later, jailers found Collier-Melchior dead in her cell.
Collier-Melchior, 53, of Spencer, was pulled over by an officer about 2:20 a.m. Sunday after driving across the center line of a residential road. A short time later, she was taken to the Midwest City jail and given a Breathalyzer test, which indicated her blood alcohol level was .19 percent, according to a news release.
While being questioned, Collier-Melchior stated she planned to hurt herself. Jail staff removed her clothes and put her into a “protective suit,” made of heavy material and secured with Velcro.
Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said she was the only person in the cell Sunday morning and that she was under surveillance while in the cell. He said four jailers were on duty and she was monitored until she moved near the cell’s toilet.
Clabes said part of the jail’s surveillance video is blocked by a black privacy strip to “ensure the dignity for the prisoners when they use the restroom.”
It was in this area that Clabes said it appeared Collier-Melchior took her life and was found by jail staff about 3:45 a.m., about 12 minutes after she was placed in the cell.
“Our jail staff and onduty police personnel took every precaution to ensure Ms. Collier-Melchoir’s safety. She was screened properly and policy was followed concerning her mental/ alcohol state of mind at the time of processing,” Clabes said.
Collier-Melchior’s apparent suicide is only the second in 18 years at the jail, Clabes said, adding that jail staff have worked to prevent a number of inmates from committing suicide over the years.
Clabes said the department processes an average of 3,000 prisoners a year and passed their most recent inspection by the Oklahoma Department of Health Jail Inspector in June. An audit of the jail in September found no deficiencies.
He said the department would be conducting a criminal and administrative investigation into Collier-Melchior’s death.
Her body was taken to the state medical examiner’s office, which will determine her cause and manner of death.
“These situations are tragic for the victim, surviving family members and especially my staff,” Clabes said. “It is something they will deal with the rest of their careers even though it appears they did everything right.”