A Texas man charged with five counts of child sexual assault died after a jury found him guilty and he chugged a bottle of liquid in the courtroom, according to his lawyer.
After the first count was read on Thursday afternoon and the jury returned a guilty verdict, Edward Leclair, 57, started drinking from a plastic water bottle filled with clear liquid.
Howard said he saw him drinking. He was shaking. The verdict made me think it was shaking. He continued to drink and drink.
The liquid appeared cloudy, according to the assistant district attorney. She did not reply immediately.
It is not known what was in Leclair's bottle.
Two years ago he was indicted on five counts of sexual assault on a person between the ages of 14 and 17. Howard said that he said he was not guilty.
After three-and-a-half hours of deliberations, Leclair was found guilty and could have been sentenced to 100 years in prison.
If the charges are proven to be true, a very stiff punishment is possible.
Leclair wasn't subject to the same restrictions as someone in custody because he was out on bond during the trial.
He drank most of what was in the bottle before he was sentenced.
Howard briefly talked to his client while he was waiting, and Leclair appeared "dejected and in shell shock", according to Howard.
Leclair threw up minutes later in the courtroom, according to Howard. Leclair was taken to the hospital after the jury left.
He was declared dead by the hospital 45 minutes after the beginning of the event.
The jury was informed of Leclair's death. He said they were told it was not their fault.
The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.
The Texas Department of Public Safety didn't reply to a request for comment.
Howard didn't see Leclair put anything in the bottle.
He said that they were not looking for that. No one was trying to find that.
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