Former ALJ, Under Investigation, Attempts Suicide

     From the Huntington, WV Herald-Dispatch:

Police are investigating what they called a possible suicide attempt by a former judge under investigation by a U.S. Senate Committee for possible fraud in awarding government disability benefits.

David B. Daugherty was found sitting unconcious in his car in a Barboursville church parking lot about 3:20 p.m. Monday, Barboursville Police Chief Mike Coffey said on Friday.

Coffey said a church worker found Daugherty and called police. When officers arrived at the lot, investigators found a garden hose duct-taped to the exhaust pipe of the car and leading into the passenger compartment through a rear side window. The garden hose was pinched on one end and melted on the other end by the exhaust pipe. Coffey said police also found an empty liquor bottle and empty pill container near the car.

Before an emergency squad arrived, Coffey said police were unsure if Daugherty was alive and used the church's difibrillator to check for a heartbeat, which he had. He was then taken to St. Mary's Medical Center and was breathing on his own shortly thereafter, Coffey said. As of 5 p.m. Friday, he was no longer a patient at St. Mary's. ...