BURKE COUNTY, Ga. – A man accused of killing a beloved St. Augustine priest attempted to kill himself again in jail, WRDW reports.
Steven Murray, 28, was moved to the Clayton County Jail in June after spending several weeks in the Jefferson County Jail near Louisville, Georgia.
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Murray was initially moved to Jefferson County after he tried to hang himself using a bed sheet, Burke County Sheriff Greg Coursey said.
He tried to hang himself again in the Clayton County Jail over the weekend, the Burke County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
Coursey told WRDW in June that Murray was put on suicide watch and Jefferson County Jail’s facilities were better prepared for suicidal inmates.
But while he was in the Jefferson County Jail, Murray damaged a sprinkler head, flooding his holding cell, Coursey said. WRDW reported that the damage was less than $150 and was covered by Jefferson County.
Murray also pulled a metal drain pipe connected to the toilet loose, Coursey said.
The Georgia Sheriff's Association told WRDW that after Murray was returned to its jail, Burke County called asking for help to find another facility for him.
GSA suggested Clayton County and Sheriff Victor Hill agreed to the transfer.
Investigators said Murray kidnapped Father Rene Robert and drove him to northeast Georgia where he shot him. Robert’s body was found in a wooded part of northeast Georgia just over a week after he was last seen in St. Augustine.
Murray faces the charge of malice murder and attorneys confirmed at a recent hearing that they will seek the death penalty against him.
Murray's arraignment will be Sept. 16, and motions hearings will begin Dec. 2.