Edward Peter Leclair
Not found on the Texas Attorney General’s published list of deaths in custody.
Edward Leclair, 57, collapsed in a holding cell at the Denton County Courthouse in Texas on August 11, 2022, after a court proceeding, and was taken by EMS to a hospital, where he later died. A prosecutor told a newspaper that he had drunk from a large water bottle containing cloudy water shortly after the proceeding, and prosecutors said surveillance footage showed him buying the water. Prosecutors believed he had put cyanide into the bottle, while the medical examiner was still investigating the cause of death and whether poison was involved. His lawyer said he made the decision at the last moment, and the Texas Rangers were investigating.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined. Prosecutors suspect he poisoned himself with cyanide in water he drank in court, while the medical examiner has not yet ruled on the cause of death.
Reported by: Denton County District Attorney's office; his lawyer.