Pagano death part of a disturbing trend?
With the apparent suicide of Metra Director Phil Pagano, a disturbing pattern is emerging of public figures facing corruption investigations in the Chicago area taking their own lives.
It's something that experts say can be stopped only if the people can get help in time to see there are alternatives - no matter how desperate things appear.
"The bottom line here is there are solutions that are more appropriate that don't require you to kill yourself," said Dr. Ronald Maris, a scientist who studies suicide with a private consulting business in South Carolina.
An investigation of alleged financial misconduct under Pagano's direction was set to be discussed by the Metra board Friday morning, just hours after authorities say he stepped in front of a Metra train near his Crystal Lake home.
It follows the prominent suicides of Chicago Board of Education Chairman Michael Scott in November; Chris Kelly, a key fundraiser to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, in September; and Orlando Jones, a lobbyist and top aide to former Cook County Board Chairman John Stroger, in late 2007.
Scott, Kelly and Jones also were under investigation for alleged corruption. And in the case of Kelly, he was set to start a three-year prison sentence on tax fraud and faced intense pressure to testify against Blagojevich.
In each of these three cases, the circumstances of the suicides led to investigations of whether something else was at play in their deaths. But they were all eventually ruled suicides.
Suicide experts say the one common thread is that the victims likely felt a sense of being cornered and were unable to see other solutions to their problems. In reality, anyone contemplating suicide should call 911 or immediately contact an organization like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at (800) 273-8255.
"They felt that they were boxed in, that their world as they knew it was crumbling," says Maris. "There is a lot of similarity in all of these."
Dr. Lanny Merman, director of the American Association of Suicidology in Washington, D.C., says such deaths are called "executive suicide."
"They can't tolerate the loss of face," he says. "So death becomes preferable to public disgrace."
Many media outlets, including the Daily Herald, refrain from reporting on suicides in general to discourage copycats, but cases involving public officials or public deaths often are exceptions.
Here is a look at the other recent suicide cases related to investigations in Illinois:
•Michael Scott: The 60-year-old shot himself in November after coming under scrutiny in an investigation of preferential admissions at the city's top schools and for a deal to develop land near a planned 2016 Olympics site while he sat on a board overseeing the city's Olympic bid. Scott was a three-time member of the Chicago Board of Education, going back to the days of Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne, and was close to Mayor Richard Daley. He had also been head of the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Urban League.
•Chris Kelly: Kelly, 51, was a construction contractor who became one of the governor's top fundraisers and the go-to guy in the administration. He faced the brunt of allegations for years of pay-to-play dealings under Blagojevich and was indicted by the federal government three times in two years on corruption charges before he overdosed on pain medications in September.
•Orlando Jones: Jones, the 52-year-old former top aide to former Cook County County Board President John Stroger and his godson, shot himself days after the FBI tried to question him. Jones, also a lobbyist, was reportedly under criminal investigation for wrongdoing regarding hospital contracts in Las Vegas and he had been questioned in relation to pension fund deals in Illinois.
<div class="infoBox">
<h1>More Coverage</h1>
<div class="infoBoxContent">
<div class="infoArea">
<h2>Stories</h2>
<ul class="links">
<li><a href="/story/?id=379389">Officials say Pagano walked in front of oncoming train</a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=379298">Pagano left legacy of service improvements</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>