"Smiley Face" Prison Guard Commits Suicide

N.J. Escapees Left Note Signed With Smiley Face Taunting Guard For His "Help" In Jail Break

(AP)  A guard who was named in a cheeky thank-you note left by two inmates when they chiseled their way out of their cells was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot Wednesday, the same day he was to be interviewed about the jailbreak, authorities said.

The body of Rudolph Zurick, 40, was found at his home in New Jersey, said attorney Michael J. Mitzner. Zurick had not been charged in the Dec. 15 break from the Union County jail and had been cooperating with the investigation, Mitzner said.

"Everything I understand, he did nothing wrong," said Mitzner, who spoke to Zurick on Monday. "It's hard to know what goes through someone's head."

The death is being investigated, Union County prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow said in a statement.

"This is not a time for speculation, but a time for mourning," he said.

Zurick was scheduled to be interviewed Wednesday about the daring break by inmates Otis Blunt, 32, and Jose Espinosa, 20. Both remained at large Wednesday.

The two used photos of bikini-clad women to hide holes they dug through the cinderblock walls of their adjoining cells in a high-security unit, authorities said. They jumped onto a lower roof, then made it over a 25-foot-high (7.6-meter-high) fence topped with razor wire.

The inmates left behind a thank-you note, signed with a smiley face, that named Zurick, thanking him for the tools they used — a thick piece of wire and a 10-pound (4.5-kilo) steel water shut-off wheel.

"You're a real pal! Happy Holidays," said the note, which also included a drawing of a hand with an upraised middle finger.

The note, Mitzner said, was "definitely sarcastic."

"There was no way he gave them any help. He was the one who had noticed they were missing."

Blunt was awaiting trial for robbery and weapons offenses. Espinosa was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a 2005 drive-by shooting.

Authorities are reviewing security measures and have barred inmates from putting pictures cut from magazines on their cell walls.

[usakousagi]

You accused us of missing the point but this is was a gun related suicide by a man and you are talking about other methods used by women. Thounsands of Americans do commit suicide every year. Most of them with guns. My post stated that, according to many studies, guns at home precipitate suicides. That most gun suicide attempts are completed and that six out of every ten suicides are gun related
Posted by schoollord

News Flash: If someone is determined to take their life not having a gun isn''t gonna be a problem they''ll just find a different way the person you were responding to was right it''s a completely different problem that has nothing to do with guns.

[djrose58]

achtung....Amen to that...diddo...it is WAY out of control....ship them to Cuba I say....

[achtung-]

Also, the U.S. needs to put birth control in the cheaper beers and in its malt liquor, which would have taken care of both of these criminals in the reproduction department. Place contraceptives also in cigarettes and in fast food, and no more problems for you, U.S., the problem with your misbehaving ethnic components will be corrected within a generation.

[achtung-]

The U.S. is too soft on these criminals. They should be castrated so that these underpersons stop reproducing, and kept behind bars forever. When they are caught, hopefully they will pull guns and be shot by law enforcement.

[djrose58]

The officer had other problems fore sure....may God watch over the family...terrible way to be remembered... SAD..real sad.... as for the escapies..their junky/crack head friends will turn them in for the reward money....you can count on that..they won''t be able to stay out of trouble long...

[denn034]

One feels for that guards family. Suicide hurts families. One feels for the guard but, abandoning a family is a greater tragedy.

[nyckate]

This guy was not responsible for the escape - the prisoners left a note with his name to get back at him not to thank him -- sheesh.

He worked in an unbelievable tough environment and I know he got an awful lot of stick about the note from both fellow workers and inmates.

But he had to be suffering much deeper problems to have taken his own life - perhaps the stressors of lived combined with an extremely stressful and difficult job got the poor man, may be rest in peace.

People who work in difficult jobs like this need to be supported better - we live in stressful times and they work even more stressful jobs - one of his supervisors must have noticed a change in the guy and gotten him some help.

[shortyinmo]

While reading most of these posts, I just have to shake my head. You are missing the point. This wasn''t a story about gun controll or anything like that.

Suicide (and suicide attempts) are a reaction to a deeper problem; guilt, depression, etc. And while the general public may not understand why someone would want to kill themselves the sad truth is that thousands do every year. Not just with guns either, women actually prefer overdosing or other non violent means in general. Reguardless, it is heartless and cruel to make fun of people who are so sad and hurt that they feel the only way to escape there pain is by ending their lives. What a bunch of jerks there are on here. Your probably the same people that picked on the school "nerd"! GROW UP!!!!!

[element51]

Mike Watkins...First of all thank you for having the guts to post your name. Second, I agree with you one hundred per cent. I, for one, get sick and tired of having everything bad that happens attached to the liberal democrats. As a lifelong democrat I have been a law abiding productive citizen and do not hate republicans. In fact some of the true republican ideas are good. I am not and have never been "pro criminal". I am against the war but have the deepest respect and admiration for our troops. Why does the right wing feel that we are all some kind of sick animals? If I could sit down with republicans and work out answers to the problems we all face I would do it in a heartbeat....without hatred on the table.

[dsr57]

Atleast they get a chance to get it right with guns. Cause if you "Try" to commit suicide and fail then, man, you are a real loser. I''ve always wondered how people "Fail" at suicide.

[tigeress33-2009]

Yeah being embarrassed is a real good reason to leave your family in fiancial ruin. Oh just this afternoon I spilt water on my pants...oh the shame..that''s it, its over for me. I am going to kill myself because I am an embarrassed loser. I should probably put some clothes on first though because I don''t want people to find me in my underware.

[dsr57]

Hey *** face. He was a coward. If he was responsible for the inmates escape then that should be put to death for releasing those people on the community. If not then he''s just a sissy that could hack it, and left his family and friends to pay for his funeral. How did you know I was sitting here in my underwear?

[mitywhity]

I truly could feel hate some of you bloggers. This man was embarassed! His livelihood was on the line as well. There is a story like this in the Bible where the guard was going to kill himself because the prisoners had escaped because it would have been his personal ruin. His story turned out different because he was treated kindly. This guard was under scrutiny on top of his shame. He was no coward, you bloggers are the cowards. Sitting there in your underwear casting smears towards the man. Losers.

[lvmy3ds]

I do feel sorry for the prison guards family. But why would someone kill themselves if they were innocent? He was probably guilty and saw suicide as a way out.

[dsr57]

Whatever, he''s a coward for killing himself, because he wasn''t thinking of the family he left behind and that now have to fend for themselves. No matter how bad you think you have it someone always has it worse. so killing yourself is just a easy way out. F him. I''m glad he''s gone one less weak link in the chain

[jetlizhan]

i feel so sorry for the prison guard and any family he had. i believe he was innocent and these 2 bums set him up, probably because he WOULDN''T help them escape. the note was definitely tongue in cheek. it''s so sad he wasn''t strong enough to see this to the end and his innocence proven.

[dsr57]

People that kill themselves are losers anyway. Next story

[b-easy63]

The note, Mitzner said, was "definitely sarcastic."

"There was no way he gave them any help. He was the one who had noticed they were missing."

sure he could have helped them. Maybe was coerced or extorted into doing so. Prison guards are compromised all the time and end up in trouble for fraternizing with the inmates and ultimately being in their thrall or beholden to them in some way. Once that happens a guard is on the hook until he is caught.

It is less than disingenuous also, that the guard would be the one to discover them missing. Just think--if you were a guard helping in an escape--more than likely you''d like to dispel suspicion by being the "hero" or the one who sounds the alarm. this is not new--sort of like the arsonist/fireman who starts a fire--then "discovers it" and saves people.

Because no matter what, we will always wonder why the guard killed himself instead of cooperating with police. The timing etc is very compromising.

Also giving the guard the finger may have been a way of saying that not only did they "use" the guard but that they forced him to help or else they would tell on him about something and then they did it anyway. Sort of a way of saying that no matter what, they planned to screw him over. Certainly would explain why he decided to end his life rather than be discovered to have aided and abetted. Former prison guards to not fare well in the pen.

[fredhetz]

I''m sick of people on here saying that the guard must have had something to hide if he committed suicide. Sure, it''s possible that he had something to hide -- it''s also possible he was ill, depressed and all kinds of other things. Get a clue, folks. Think beyond what is obvious.

[shanev137]

He offed himself because he knew Bush was going to send him to Gitmo for what he did.