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Suspect in baby death case reportedly attempts suicide in jail

By Howard B. Owens
Jeffrey Deats

Jeffrey L. Deats, the 28-year-old Batavia resident held on a manslaughter charge in the death of Baby Chandler Zuchs, reportedly attempted suicide overnight.

Sheriff Gary Maha said Deats was found in his cell at 11:55 p.m. He had tried to use a bedsheet to hang himself.

A corrections officer performed CPR. Deats was transported to UMMC and later transferred to ECMC, where he is listed in critical condition.

"I cannot comment on his medical condition due to confidentially issues, but he is still alive," Maha said.

A corrections officer had made a routine check of his cell nine minutes prior to Deats being found during the suicide attempt.

Deats was arrested Wednesday on a charge of manslaughter, 2nd.  

Six-month-old Chandler Zuchs, whom at the time Deats apparently believed was his son, was on an overnight visit the weekend before at the Olyn Avenue home of Deats when the child died.

Baby Chandler suffered brain injuries, according to a Medical Examiner's report, authorities said.

Following the arrest of Deats, a DNA report surfaced that showed another man, not Deats, was the biological father of Baby Chandler.

Previously: 

Tim Miller

Cue "they should have let him die/finish the job" / "he almost saved the county a bunch of money" / "serves him right" posts!

:-P

But seriously, that may very well be a hint of guilty feelings...

Dec 22, 2014, 8:33am Permalink
Scott Ogle

Fair point, Jason. You may be right. But it says only that a routine check had been made nine minutes prior to the discovery of the attempt. No mention is made on the frequency of the routine checks, or in fact, how the attempt was discovered.

Dec 22, 2014, 12:41pm Permalink
Bob Price

Great. That should be nice bill for Genesee County from ECMC,on top of the lawsuit from his family that will probably be forthcoming. Just wish the little Chandlers mother hadn't lied to begin with and this mess wouldn't be happening......Facebook is the root of most evil these days........

Dec 22, 2014, 1:09pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Evil evil spoon...... How did you know Doug that my spoon forces me to buy huge #10 cans of pudding and bulk ice cream. Then at about 9pm make me sit down and eat the stuff til I get sick.

Those dastardly spoons need to be put down. I forbade my wife from saying spooning in this house ever again because of this abuse.

Dec 22, 2014, 4:47pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Otis, I think this whole episode shows that, sometimes, society would be better off if some 'swimmers' never made it up the canal.

Dec 22, 2014, 6:11pm Permalink
Brian Graz

If he's guilty, too bad he wasn't successful.
If he's not guilty, why would he try this?
If he wants to end his life for any reason... he should have the right to do so.

Dec 22, 2014, 7:15pm Permalink

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