Man who hanged self in Cape Girardeau jail identified

Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton released the name of the man found hanging in a holding room at the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

The deceased was identified as Lawrence Adolphe Thompson III, 55, of Cape Girardeau.

Because the death occurred while Thompson was in custody, Clifton scheduled an inquest to be held on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m., but the location has not yet been decided upon.

Cape Girardeau Police Chief Carl Kinnison has requested that the Missouri State Highway Patrol conduct an independent investigation in addition to the local police department's own internal one, said Sgt. Barry Hovis, spokesman for the police department.

After Thompson allegedly struck a stairwell with his car somewhere in the west part of Cape Girardeau early Tuesday morning, he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and placed in the holding room, where he was to stay until he could be processed and taken to the municipal jail upstairs.

Thompson was placed in the holding room shortly before 1 a.m.

An officer checked on him 3:50 a.m., and he was alive, Hovis said.

His body was discovered hanging from a noose fashioned of an article of clothing around 4:30 a.m., Hovis said.

Thompson pleaded guilty to a DWI charge in Scott County in 2001.