St. Augustine man kills himself before jury's 'not guilty' verdict

St. Augustine man kills himself before jury's 'not guilty' verdict

ST. AUGUSTINE - Authorities say a St. Augustine man on trial for sexual battery charges apparently killed himself before learning the verdict: not guilty.

A St. Johns County judge became concerned Thursday when 57-year-old William Telano Evans didn't show up for the reading of the verdict. The judge sent deputies to find Evans but let the jury read its verdict without him present.

Evans, never hearing the verdict, was found at his home minutes later dead of a gunshot wound.Evans was arrested in 2004 after a now-38-year-old woman reported that he began routinely molesting her about 29 years ago when she was 9 or 10.

Link: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-man-on-trial-suicide-bn082809,0,6096103.story