NE Minn. man dies by suicide at jail after rape conviction

DULUTH — A Brookston man who was convicted of rape last week died early Thursday, nearly a week after a suicide attempt at the St. Louis County Jail.

John Gregory Maio, 60, died at Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth at approximately 2:30 a.m., according to Sheriff Gordon Ramsay. Gail Mularie, the mother of Maio's children, said he had been taken off life support after he was found unresponsive in his jail cell Friday.

"They should've had him on suicide watch," Mularie said. "They should've done something. They knew he was going to prison for up to 30 years, and they should've been watching him."

Ramsay, though, said there hadn't been any concerns raised about Maio's mental health and that he requested to be in general population. He said staff immediately began lifesaving efforts and called 911.

"We will be conducting a review of the incident and we notified the Minnesota Department of Corrections immediately after he was found," Ramsay told the News Tribune. "This has been a difficult and sad time for our staff. Our hearts go out to them, as well as the family of John Maio."

Local

PREVIOUSLY: Brookston man found guilty of sexual assault

The 60-year-old may face significant prison time for the 2018 assault.

March 14, 2023 03:10 PM

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By  Tom Olsen

Maio was found guilty March 7 of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, along with making threats of violence, in the Dec. 20, 2018, assault at his home along County Highway 31. He had been free on bond since 2019, shortly after he was first charged, but Judge Eric Hylden ordered him into custody pending sentencing.

With Maio having an extensive criminal history and his top conviction carrying up to 30 years, it was expected he could face what would essentially amount to a life sentence.

Ramsay confirmed that the inmate was found hanging during a routine wellbeing check at approximately 9:30 a.m. Friday, less than three days after he was convicted. Mularie said she was told staff had been conducting regular 20-minute checks and that Maio was up and moving around before he was found unresponsive and not breathing.

She said staff took him down and tried to revive him but his heart was stopped and took about 20 minutes to get going again, likely leaving him with severe brain damage.

Ramsay said inmates are asked whether they are suicidal and are screened for potential signs that could place them under a more-intensive watch schedule.

"He had no concerning actions or behavior," the sheriff said. "He was sleeping and eating normally."

Maio had been found guilty of raping a woman who had been housesitting for him. A criminal complaint states that he returned home and was angry that she had her boyfriend at the residence. The boyfriend left the house and waited down the road so the woman could collect her personal belongings.

The victim told investigators that Maio then displayed an apparent handgun, placed it on a bedside table and proceeded to rape her. She confirmed that she felt threatened by the weapon and the possibility that Maio would use it.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at the home and seized an airsoft gun that was hidden in the kitchen behind some boxes of cereal, the complaint states. In an interview, Maio allegedly stated he had engaged in sexual intercourse with the woman in the past but said nothing had occurred that day.

The complaint states that he later told a jail visitor that he was angry about the victim's boyfriend being present and confirmed that he grabbed the gun and "made sure she saw it."

Defense attorney K. Scott Belfry argued the sexual conduct was consensual. But the 12-member jury rejected that argument, finding Maio guilty of all three counts.

The verdict came more than four years after Maio was first charged, with records indicating the case has weathered delays related to attorney changes, the pandemic and litigation regarding the admissibility of evidence at trial.

Assistant St. Louis County Michael Hagley filed a formal notice of dismissal Thursday and confirmed to the News Tribune that he received news of Maio's death, but did not otherwise comment. Belfry did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Mularie, who now lives in Florida, said she left Maio some 40 years ago as he was dealing with severe drug addiction, but he remained close with family members.

"I'm not worried about me, because I had little to do with him for 40 years, but I'm worried about my children and grandchildren," she said. "I want the truth to be out there about what happened."