Cary Man Died By Suicide In McHenry Jail Cell: Source

(Editor's note: a family member has disputed the source's account, but has not agreed to an interview with Patch. We will update this article as more information becomes available.)

Update 11/27: The payment figures and details in paragraph five have been updated.

WOODSTOCK, IL — The Cary man who was found unresponsive in his McHenry County Jail cell Friday, Nov. 17, committed suicide amid overwhelming financial stress caused by court-ordered child support payments, according to a source close to the family. Thomas Doheny, 51, of Cary, was found by jail staff in his single-occupancy cell at about 8:10 p.m. Friday.

A press release from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said the staff “immediately began life-saving measures” upon finding him. He was then transferred to Centrega Woodstock Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:53 p.m.

The coroner's office press release said Doheny’s autopsy revealed “no suspicious injuries or significant natural disease.”

Doheny had been held at the jail since Nov. 1, when he was taken into custody in contempt of court. He was in court dealing with a divorce filed against him in 2014, according to the source who was close to Doheny but wishes to remain anonymous.

“The judge just got upset and incarcerated him,” the person said. Formerly quite wealthy, Doheny was working to reduce the monthly child support and maintenance payments to his ex-wife, which he could not afford, according to the source, who said the payments were a fixed amount, not a percentage. The child support payments exceeded $7,700 and maintenance payments were $11,500 monthly for 16 years, according to court documents obtained by Patch.

“He doesn't make that kind of money. He did five years ago, but his situation has changed,” the source said in a Nov. 14 email to a local newspaper, whom the source said didn't respond, as part of an inquiry about the legality of child support payments from incarcerated parents.

The source claims that Judge Michael Coppedge, who presided over the case, failed to consider the information provided by Doheny and made it impossible for him to afford child support payments. Doheny was fired from his job as the result of having to make 260 court appearances in the last two years in attempts to lower the payments. The source said his company hired an attorney to keep up with all of the subpoenas his ex-wife sent.

Doheny left letters for loved ones, including four children, but police have yet to release them, according to the source. “They won’t even give us copies."

Patch asked a sergeant at the McHenry County Jail about the jail's criteria for placing an inmate on suicide watch. The sergeant referred questions to a supervisor, who did not return a message from Patch Tuesday.

An attorney for Doheny also did not respond to a message from Patch.

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