"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.