Former fugitive, MMA fighter dies in Cass County jail of apparent suicide: sheriff
A man facing criminal charges in multiple car thefts and a burglary was found dead in the shower of the Cass County jail Monday from an apparent suicide, Cass County officials said.
Jeremiah T. Denson, 28, of Pleasant Hill was unresponsive when deputies in the jail found him about 8:30 p.m., according to a statement from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.
Paramedics attempted to revive Denson but were unsuccessful and declared him dead at the scene. The sheriff’s office released Denson’s name Wednesday.
Denson had been in the jail since Dec. 21 when he was captured after a five-day multi-jurisdictional manhunt.
He had escaped authorities Dec. 16 after he led Cass County deputies in a chase in a stolen vehicle on Interstate 49 north of Harrisonville.
Denson fled on foot and eluded teams from four law enforcement agencies with search dogs and a Kansas City police helicopter. But he was arrested five days later at Mechanic and Price streets in Harrisonville.
Denson was charged with stealing six vehicles between Dec. 11 and Dec. 21, plus burglary of a house and resisting arrest by fleeing.
Friends on social media described Denson as a good friend and a popular athlete who competed in mixed martial arts.
His death is under investigation by the Johnson County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, which was requested to lead the inquiry, along with the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office.
