Kenneth Macon, who has been a person of interest in two residential break-ins and a brutal assault in Columbus, took his own life in a Florida jail on Sunday, sheriff”s officials said.
Macon, 28, was arrested May 3 by the Holmes County Sheriff”s Office in Florida, Columbus officials said last week. He was captured in Holmes County after leading sheriff”s and police cars on a wild chase that saw Macon run red lights, hit a police car, and draw gunfire from police before finally stopping after hitting an oncoming vehicle. He was charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding law enforcement and false information to a law enforcement officer.
Capt. Harry Hamilton, with the Holmes County Sheriff”s Office, confirmed on Monday that Macon had hanged himself Sunday. He gave no further details of Macon”s death, except to say Macon had not exhibited any suicidal behavior. The HCSO is conducting an investigation.
According to a report in the Holmes County, Fla., Times Advertiser, the death is being investigated by the State Attorney”s Office, the State Medical Examiner”s Office and Holmes County. The body was sent to Bay County, Fla. for an autopsy, the newspaper said.
Macon was on hold to be extradited back to Columbus to face charges of aggravated assault and robbery in connection with an incident which occurred on Feb. 4 at 613 16th Avenue South, Columbus officials said. In that incident, Macon allegedly tried to attack a woman with a knife before fleeing with her purse.
Macon was also a person of interest in an attack and robbery which occurred on Feb. 8, which sent a Columbus couple to the hospital, after they discovered a man believed to be Macon hiding in a closet in their 903 11th Ave. S. residence. The suspect stabbed both victims and hit them with a claw hammer before fleeing in their pickup truck, which was later recovered.
Macon had been on the loose since January, after his 48-hour pass from the Walnut Grove Transitional Center in Leake County expired. He was on probation on drug charges.
According to the Times Advertiser, Macon was captured after a chase when Holmes County sheriff”s deputies tried to stop his blue Ford SUV. According to reports, deputies and Graceville, Fla., police chased the vehicle for four miles before it struck an oncoming vehicle. Macon allegedly gave a false name to police, but the driver was later discovered to be Macon, according to the report.
Macon had been at large after falling to turn himself in on Jan. 31, after a 48-hour pass granted by the Mississippi Department of Corrections had expired. Macon had been staying at the Walnut Grove Transitional Center since last November.
Walnut Grove is private-owned facility, but is under MDOC guidelines.
According to Columbus police, Macon was being held on charges of violation of probation and possession of cocaine. He was wearing a GPS ankle bracelet, but cut it off.
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