Coroner's jury says Metra chief's death suicide

Distressed over an investigation that would reveal he improperly took nearly a half-million dollars from his employers, former Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano stood in front of one of the commuter rail service's trains last month and took his own life, a McHenry County Sheriff's detective testified Friday at a coroner's inquest.

As expected, the McHenry County Coroner's jury formally ruled Pagano's death a suicide after the inquest in which they heard briefly about the internal misconduct probe into the longtime Metra boss' financial dealings and a final conversation in which he told a close friend he was "taking the last train out."

"The evidence points to the fact that he was distraught about the investigation and assumed there was no other recourse," sheriff's Detective Ed Maldonado said.

Pagano, 60, died May 7 when he walked in front of an oncoming Metra train near his Crystal Lake home. The train's engineer, Maldonado said, told investigators Pagano stood in the middle of the tracks as the train approached and stared straight ahead until impact.

Moments earlier, Pagano phoned longtime friend Al Jourdan, a Regional Transportation Authority director, and indicated he planned to end his life. Jourdan told investigators he heard a train in the background and then the call was disconnected, Maldonado said.

Deputy McHenry County Coroner Kim Bostic said toxicology tests showed Pagano had no drugs in his system, but did have an "extremely low" blood-alcohol content of .026 - well below the .08 limit for driving a car. Bostic said there was no evidence Pagano had been drinking near the scene of his suicide.

In Pagano's wallet, Bostic said found a note from Pagano describing how his wife could be contacted as well as instructions to call Bill Tupper, who had been named acting executive director when Pagano was placed on leave in April.

Pagano's death came just hours before Metra's board was scheduled to meet to decide his future amid a probe that would find he took $475,000 in unauthorized vacation pay over several years.

According to the probe's findings, Pagano began obtaining payouts for unused vacation days in 1990s, contrary to Metra policy. He ramped up his efforts in 2007, when he received advances on vacation days at the start of each year.

Pagano also forged board Chairman Carole Doris' signature on documents authorizing the advances, the investigation found.

In a letter left behind for Metra officials, Pagano said he made "one mistake" and described the investigation into his actions as "madness."

"I love Metra. I gave it my heart and soul," Pagano wrote. "With the exception of this one mistake, I have always done things the honest and right way."