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Brandon Holbrook, who was being held in St. Louis County Justice Center, was found dead in his prison cell.
Holbrook was suspected of raping a 14-year-old girl multiple times while working as a teacher at a St. Louis-area middle school.
30-year-old Brandon Holbrook was found dead inside a St. Louis County Justice Center cell Monday afternoon, with his initial cause of death unknown. https://t.co/13ofsgGFM5
— WBRC FOX6 News (@WBRCnews) October 1, 2022
He allegedly got to know his victims using social media. He was charged with three counts of statutory rape and six counts of statutory sodomy.
Holbrook was found unresponsive in his cell and was transported to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Doug Moore, a St. Louis County Executive Sam Page spokesman, said they did not find any objects in his cell.
An autopsy was done to determine the cause of death.
A thorough investigation is in order,” said Holbrook’s Rosenblum. “There’s no indication that this young man was suicidal. In fact, given the circumstances, he was upbeat.”
More on this story via Daily Wire:
Holbrook first met the 14-year-old girl at Bernard Middle School in Mehlville, according to authorities. Police said he groomed the alleged victim via social media, exchanging messages and pictures in May. He allegedly raped the girl at her home on three separate occasions, then threatened her to stay silent about it.
Mehlville is an “inner-ring” suburb of St. Louis County with a population of about 28,000.
After Holbrook’s arrest, Mehlville school officials sent a letter to parents assuring them that the suspect had not worked in the district in the current school year, although he had taught at the district’s elementary, middle and high schools, as well as the pandemic virtual program, between February 2021 and May 2022.
“We are deeply troubled by any report alleging that an employee may have engaged in inappropriate behavior,” said the letter, which did not name Holbrook but said the suspect had undergone an extensive routine background check. “Our schools are places where students should always feel safe, and we take any allegation of staff misconduct very seriously.”