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November 13, 2001 By Shane Benjamin A Mancos man being held in the La Plata County Jail on a warrant from Montezuma County hanged himself early Monday morning in his jail cell. Dustin Jeremy Eppich, 20, was found dead at 1:03 a.m. with a cloth wrapped around his neck, said Dick Mullen, La Plata County Sheriff’s Office spokesman. Mullen, who is the county coroner, did not know what kind of cloth was used, but said it was tied to a towel rack. Eppich was being held in the jail on a warrant from Montezuma County for siphoning about 20 gallons of diesel fuel onto the ground in Mancos, said Mancos Marshal David Palacios, who issued the warrant. "I feel terrible about that," Palacios said about Eppich’s death. "I know the family and it’s just tragic." Palacios said he heard that Eppich’s girlfriend accidentally put diesel fuel in the gasoline truck, and that is why he was siphoning the fuel out. The marshal’s office was seeking a hazardous-materials spill charge against Eppich — a felony, Palacios said. The incident occurred on Oct. 26, a warrant was issued Oct. 29, and Eppich was arrested on Thursday. A call to Eppich’s family in Mancos seeking comment was not returned. According to Herald archives, Eppich was a snowboard instructor at Hesperus Ski Area, which was shut down this year for running a chairlift without an operator. Mullen said it is the first time that he can remember someone committing suicide at the jail. "We’ve had attempts, but never a successful completion," he said. In January 2000, murder suspect Boyd "Bo" Irwin Dotts used a razor blade to cut his neck and arms. He was rushed to the hospital and made a full recovery. Dotts was accused of murdering Emily Marie Benavidez, 54, and her son, James Benavidez, 31. An investigation into Eppich’s death is being conducted by the Durango Police Department, and an autopsy was scheduled to be performed Monday. |
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Copyright © 2001 the Cortez Journal.
All rights reserved. |
