Police: Woman attempted hanging
NEW ROADS — A 25-year-old Pointe Coupee woman suffered a broken neck Friday when she attempted to hang herself in jail a few hours after a judge sentenced her to serve five years in prison for violating her probation, authorities said.
Sheriff’s deputies found Tracy Duplechain, of Lottie, hanging from a bedsheet in her jail cell at the Pointe Coupee Detention Center around lunchtime, sheriff’s Capt. Steven Juge said.
Deputies administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation until paramedics arrived and transported Duplechain to Pointe Coupee General Hospital, where she remained unconscious Friday afternoon, Juge said.
Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff Beauregard “Bud” Torres requested that Louisiana State Police further investigate the incident, Juge said.
Detectives don’t believe there was wrongdoing on anyone else’s part, State Police Sgt. Len Marie said. “We believe this was an unassisted suicide attempt,” he added.
Duplechain had been in 18th Judicial District Court for a probation hearing before state District Judge James Best a few hours before she allegedly tried to hang herself, Marie said.
A probation officer testified that Duplechain violated the terms of her three-year probation sentence numerous times since her March 23, 2009, conviction for illegal possession of the prescription painkiller methadone, court records show.
Lafayette police issued Duplechain a summons for misdemeanor theft on Nov. 8, court records show, when she was caught allegedly trying to steal two pairs of boots from a J.C. Penney store.
According to court records, Duplechain was arrested again on a misdemeanor theft count by Krotz Springs police on Nov. 28 when she was caught allegedly stealing from an Exxon gas station and a Dollar General store.
One day later, Duplechain was issued another summons in a misdemeanor theft case, this time by Opelousas police, the records show.
Her probation officer further testified that Duplechain had failed to provide proof of employment and neglected to turn in seven of 12 required monthly supervision reports last year.