It appears the Arizona Department of Corrections has two suicides on its hands -- and they happened within 24 hours of each other.
The DOC announced this morning that inmate Karot Phothong, 37, was found unresponsive in his cell at the ASPC-Florence on Saturday. DOC spokesman Bill Lamoreaux says it appears that Phothong -- who was in his seventh year of a 12-year sentence for aggravated assault -- killed himself.
It's unclear how Phothong took his own life -- the DOC rarely tells the media how inmates kill themselves, and Lamoreaux didn't immediately respond to an email asking about Phothong.
On Friday, another inmate was found dead in her cell from another apparent suicide.
In February 2009, Day's son, 8-month-old Elijah James, drowned in a bathtub.
Day later told police that she'd left the boy in the tub as she went to
get a towel. Instead of getting the towel, Day told authorities, she got
sidetracked writing in her poetry book.
The boy was left unattended for about 20 minutes before his older brother found him and pulled him from the tub.
Day initially was sentenced to seven years probation after pleading guilty to child abuse.
In November, however, Day violated her probation and was sent to prison.
Investigations into both deaths are ongoing.
