Montgomery County man who was sentenced to life for aggravated kidnapping dies by suicide in prison
Tyler Clark's death wasn't the only death connected to the criminal case. His attorney was also found dead just weeks before.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A man recently sentenced to life in prison in Montgomery County was found unresponsive in his prison cell and pronounced dead.
Tyler Clark, 31, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for family violence and 30 years for aggravated kidnapping in December.
The custodial death report filed with the attorney general's office said he died by suicide on March 24 at 9:05 p.m. His cause of death is listed as asphyxiation from hanging.
Clark was being housed at the Ferguson Unit in Midway, Texas.
Records filed with the state show five inmates died by suicide from hanging in the last five years at the Ferguson Unit.
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A Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson said that there are 2,400 inmates housed at the facility. They went on to say, "One suicide is one too many. TDCJ continuously works to reduce the number of suicides in the system."
Prosecutors Shanna Redwine and Brittany Hansford said in 2022, Clark kidnapped his girlfriend at the time from Harris County, drove her to a park in Kingwood, and left her. During that time, Clark was abusing the victim.
The victim said she had injuries all over her body. Her face was beaten to the point that she was unrecognizable.
As the victim read her victim's impact statement in court during Clark's sentencing, he fired back at her. A judge told him to be quiet, but Clark said he had already been sentenced to life in prison.
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He was in the process of appealing his conviction at the time of his death. His hired attorney working the appeal, Austen Smith, was found dead in a car in the parking lot of a gas station on March 3, three weeks before Clark's death.
The medical examiner's office ruled he died from the toxic effects of numerous drugs.
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