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Polk Arson, Attempted Murder Suspect Dies After Hanging Self In Jail

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 24, 2007

Updated: 12/24/2007 04:24 pm

A Polk County Jail inmate charged Sunday with four counts of attempted murder was found hanging in his cell Monday morning, deputies say. He died at Bartow Regional Medical Center shortly after 3 p.m.

James Mark Garry, 39, of Lakeland, was arrested without incident Sunday after battering his ex-wife, stealing her boyfriend's car and setting fire to her duplex, authorities said. The fire at 158 Shannon Drive in Lakeland also damaged an adjoining home.

James Mark Garry

Carrie Rodgers, who has been the Polk County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman for five years, said she couldn't recall another suicide attempt by hanging in a Polk County Jail.

Garry had been charged with four counts of attempted murder, two counts of arson, burglary with battery, auto theft and battery-domestic violence, according to the sheriff's office.

The state fire marshal's office is investigating the fire.

Deputies got a warrant for Garry's arrest after his ex-wife contacted the sheriff's office Saturday.

"On that date, Garry went to her house, broke in through a rear door, chased her out into the front yard, battered her, ran back into the house, stole several items and the key to her boyfriend's car, and left in the boyfriend's car," a sheriff's office news release states.

On Sunday, deputies were called about a suspicious person at a Hess station in north Lakeland, near where Garry's ex-wife lives. Deputies responding to the station also went to check on the home of Garry's ex-wife.

A deputy approaching the duplex saw one side engulfed in flames.

"He called for back-up and a fire unit, and, after determining that Garry's ex-wife was not at home, he was able to get the residents out of the other side of the duplex and evacuate the surrounding residences," the release states. "Nobody was injured as a result of the fire."

Deputies later went to Garry's home at 317 Marcum Trace and arrested him.

Authorities say he told them he set the fire.

About 7:23 a.m. today, a detention deputy at Central County Jail told Garry to prepare to be taken to a first court appearance. At 7:35 a.m., two deputies returned to his cell and found him hanging from window bars by a drawstring he had removed from a mesh property-laundry bag, the release states.

Deputies cut Garry down, tried to revive him and called for an ambulance. The ambulance arrived eight minutes later and took him to Bartow Regional Medical Center.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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