‘Unabomber’ Ted Kaczynski suffered from advanced rectal cancer and was ‘depressed’ before committing suicide in prison, autopsy says

Ted Kaczynski, the imprisoned domestic terrorist known as the “Unabomber,” was diagnosed with rectal cancer in March 2021 and, a month before committing suicide in June 2023, “was depressed and sent for psychiatric evaluation” , according to his autopsy report obtained by NBC News.

Kaczynski was 81, and a senior law enforcement official said at the time that he had been diagnosed with cancer, although its type and severity were unclear.

Now, 10 months after Kaczynski’s death and NBC News’ first Freedom of Information Act request related to his case, his autopsy report offers new details about the health and final months of a man who, over two decades, carried out a series of deadly bombings that killed three people and injured 23 others. It ended with his capture in the Montana wilderness in 1996; he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner lists the cause of death as hanging, with a shoelace used as a ligature, in Kaczynski’s solitary confinement cell at Butner Federal Medical Center, northeast of Durham.

Kaczynski’s suicide death raises questions about whether it was preventable and why he had access to a shoelace, said Jack Donson, a retired case manager for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and executive director of Federal Prison Education and Reform Alliance, a non-profit organization.

It is unclear whether Kaczynski’s depression led to suicide watch, which Donson said would include 24/7 direct monitoring and the removal of items that could allow inmates to commit suicide. wrong. “It’s virtually impossible to stop someone from harming themselves, other than someone who is officially on suicide watch,” he added.

But, he added, given Kaczynski’s status within the BOP, “it is somewhat surprising that a high-profile inmate coming out of a maximum security facility was able to obtain shoelaces at a hospital to commit suicide – especially him.”

The 2019 suicide of wealthy financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in his cell at New York’s BOP prison prompted an investigation that found a lack of oversight and other failings, including ensuring he had a cellmate as recommended.

In response to Kaczynski’s death and questions about whether it was preventable, BOP officials declined to comment specifically on his case or the conditions of his detention due to “safety and security reasons.” In general, the agency said, in cases of death by homicide or suicide, the BOP follows a protocol for preserving and documenting evidence “necessary to support a subsequent investigation,” and there are also guidelines for preventing the suicide and training in each establishment.

The policy notes that inmates in detention or disciplinary segregation “may often be at higher risk for suicidal behavior” and are “monitored for signs of potential suicide risk.” It is unclear whether Kaczynski was ever monitored for suicide risk during his time with Butner.

A Justice Department inspector general report released in February found that the BOP failed to prevent the deaths of 187 inmates who committed suicide over eight years, with “numerous operational and management deficiencies.” creating dangerous conditions. The report focused on deaths that appeared likely preventable and not those involving inmates with more complex medical care issues.

In addition to Kaczynski’s diagnosis of rectal cancer, which medical examiners said was stage 4, his autopsy revealed that he had a history of mental health disorders and was feeling depressed about a month before his death.

“On June 10, 2023, around midnight, he hanged himself from a handicap bar in his bedroom with shoelaces,” the report said. “He was initially pulseless and resuscitation was initiated.”

There was a “return of spontaneous circulation” before he was transferred to Duke University Hospital in Durham where his blood pressure remained low, the report said. He was pronounced dead at 8:07 a.m.

“The deceased was not taking any prescription medications and had no prior suicidal thoughts or attempts,” the report added. “Federal law enforcement didn’t care about foul play.”

The autopsy also found that there were “significant injuries” to Kaczynski’s rib cage due to chest compressions and that his rectal cancer had spread to his liver and both lungs. He suffered “massive blood loss” as chest compressions caused “lacerations to his critically ill liver”, but the report said this was only caused by “his own actions in inciting himself to hang himself, and therefore the manner is rightly suicide.”

Kaczynski, a Harvard-educated mathematician who railed against technology, planted pipe bombs — targeting universities, an American Airlines flight and others — during a campaign from 1978 to 1995 that three deaths and multiple mutilations, federal prosecutors said. His notoriety as the “Unabomber” comes from an FBI code name taken from the bombing targets of his university and airlines.

Kaczynski had taunted officials with a rambling manifesto and was captured following one of the longest FBI manhunts in history. In 1998, while awaiting trial, authorities said Kaczynski attempted to hang himself with his underwear on and was placed in prison on 24-hour suicide watch. He insisted, however, that he was not mentally ill, although he had been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic.

To avoid the death penalty, Kaczynski pleaded guilty to his crimes and was placed in the Supermax federal prison in Florence, Colorado, a high-security facility that has held some of America’s most wanted terrorists and crime lords. country.

In March 2021, Kaczynski complained of rectal bleeding. He was transferred this fall from Florence to Butner Federal Medical Center for cancer treatment, medical examiners said. He began twice-weekly chemotherapy until March 2023, “at which time he refused further treatment due to negative side effects and his poor prognosis”, they added.

An oncologist noted that he “seemed depressed” about a month before his death.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis lifeline. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com