CORALVILLE, IOWA – A convicted attempted murderer took his own life in an Iowa prison this week.
On June 23, 2015 at approximately 10:25 PM, during routine medical rounds, inmate Mahendrakumar Maneklal Patel was discovered unresponsive hanging with a bed sheet around the neck tied to an electrical conduit attached to the ceiling of the assigned cell.
Responding staff, including medical personnel removed the sheet from Patel’s neck and immediately began emergency medical protocols including CPR and automated external defibrillation. Local ambulance service was notified and upon arrival continued emergency protocols during transport to University Hospitals. Upon admission, additional lifesaving procedures were performed until death was pronounced at 2:48 AM.
An autopsy will be conducted by the State Medical Examiner, however there is no reason to believe the cause of death to be anything other than asphyxia due to suffocation.
Because this death was not related to natural causes, the incident remains under investigation. Due to the ongoing investigation, additional information is not available at this time.
Patel, formerly of India was 48 years old and serving a twenty five year sentence from Polk County for attempted murder. He allegedly stalked and tried to kill a female acquaintance in the Des Moines area. This sentence began on May 18, 2006.