Jail inmate found dead in cell

An inmate at the Carson City Jail hanged himself in a segregation cell on Saturday afternoon, the sheriff said Sunday.

Inmate Jonathan Roe, 20, was found about 5:22 p.m. as officers were serving dinner, Sheriff Ken Furlong said.

In custody since July on a probation violation, Roe was moved into the segregation cell about 4:30 p.m. because of fights with other inmates, said Furlong.

"It was for his own protection," the sheriff said. "Roughly an hour later, staff came through with meals and he was already dead."

Furlong notified Roe's mother and grandparents who live in Carson City. Roe's father lives in Las Vegas, Furlong said.

He said Roe never indicated that he would harm himself.

"That's the ironic part about this, there was no expression of depression beyond what is anticipated. Obviously when people are in jail they are upset. There doesn't seem to be anything that we can put our fingers on that would have suggested that he was going to do this," he said.

Roe had recently been given a sentence of "time served," on an alternative sentencing probation violation. He was scheduled to appear in Carson City District Court on Nov. 6 on a charge of state probation violation. Roe also had a hold on him because of warrant out of Douglas County, said Furlong.

Roe's hanging is the third time in the last five years that a Carson City Jail inmate committed suicide. This is the second hanging under Furlong's administration.