Poplar Bluff man's recent jail death ruled a suicide

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The investigation into the recent death of a Poplar Bluff man who committed suicide while being held in the Butler County Justice Center indicates he showed a pattern of escalating aggression in the days before his death.

It was Adam Butch Banks' alleged aggressive behavior that led to him "being held in isolation" in a holding cell, said Butler County Coroner Jim Akers.

The 31-year-old was found unresponsive May 1 in his cell during what Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs earlier described as a "regular, routine check."

At the time he was found, Banks had been in the jail for about 12 hours, having been lodged there after his April 30 arrest by the Poplar Bluff Police Department on suspicion of second-degree property damage.

An autopsy subsequently was performed at Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington, Missouri, by Dr. Russell Deidiker.

Akers said Banks' cause of death was "strangulation due to hanging," through the use of part of his jail uniform.

The coroner's office has ruled Banks' death a suicide, Akers said.

A complete investigation was conducted by his office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control, Akers said.

"It was determined that [Banks] died as a result of his own actions ... he hung himself in his jail cell," said Akers. " ... There were no other persons in the holding area where he was. He was the only occupant of that cell."

Akers said he had been prepared to do a coroner's jury inquest, but "with him being the only one in the cell, the circumstances were clear."

Through the investigation, Akers said, it was learned about two days before Banks' death he had "become aggressive."

Banks' girlfriend, who was interviewed, reported she had moved out of their apartment because of his alleged violent and aggressive behavior, Akers said.

On the day of his arrest, Banks had gone to a Poplar Bluff home looking for his girlfriend, and when he couldn't find her, he allegedly began beating on the home with a hammer, breaking windows, said Poplar Bluff deputy police chief Jeff Rolland.

"That's why we got called," Rolland said.

When Banks was booked at the jail, Akers said, one of the standard questions he was asked was whether he was suicidal.

"He answered he was not suicidal; he was booked in on a misdemeanor" and placed in "isolation because he was aggressive, not suicidal," Akers said.

Jail personnel, Akers said, had checked on Banks.

Officers working in the booking area, which is near the holding area, were "speaking with him all morning," Akers said. "There were no indicators" he was suicidal.

When the noon meal was served, Akers said, Banks spoke with the officer "for a while" about how he didn't want to eat.

"Within 45 minutes, he was found; however, it only takes two to three minutes through strangulation, hanging, to die," Akers said.

Before Banks' family stopped cooperating with the investigation, Akers said, he was told Banks had attempted to "harm himself and [commit] suicide multiple times" since age 21.

In looking through records at the sheriff's and police departments, Akers said, nothing was found indicating Banks had a history of trying to kill himself.

"Through our investigation, all procedures were [found to have been] done properly by the sheriff's department," Akers said. "When a person is determined to harm himself and take his own life ... as his mother told me, they tried everything.

"They had done everything they could. The last time he tried to kill himself was at her house" about two months prior.

Akers said he still is trying to obtain more of Banks' medical and mental history.

Although still awaiting the final autopsy and toxicology reports, as well as the highway patrol's report, which will be needed to officially close the investigation, for "all practical purposes ... as far as the coroner's office is concerned, it is a closed case," Akers said.