WASHINGTON – A Labor Department lawyer found dead in a D.C. jail cell this week reportedly committed suicide by slashing his throat with a razor, The Washington Post reports.
The body of Paul Mannina, 58, of Montgomery County was discovered Tuesday, hours after a court hearing during which he was ordered to remain jailed, despite arguments by his attorney that he needed mental health treatment.
Sources familiar with the case tell the Post authorities are still investigating how Mannina obtained the tool.
He may have tampered with a jail-issued razor, the Post reports.
Mannina, a respected lawyer, faced charges of first-degree burglary while armed and third-degree sexual assault in connection with a brutal attack on a co-worker early this month.
Prosecutors say Mannina used a stun gun and handcuffs, beating and sexually assaulting the woman at her home in Northwest D.C.
The victim was beaten so severely she required a titanium plate in her face.
The victim’s husband tells the Post he cannot believe what has happened to his wife, claiming there were never any warning signs. He says his wife and Mannina were friends who socialized together.
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