By Jaime North
LEWISBURG -- Cindy Reynolds remembers her son as a hard-working, self-motivated guy who constantly watched the Weather Channel, keeping tabs on coming storms to get a jump on mowing neighbors' lawns and shoveling snow off driveways.
Darren Reynolds, 18, remembers his older brother as a generous guy who wouldn't hesitate to toss a football in the backyard, wrestle in the living room or lend a hand with yard work.
It all quickly changed, his family says, once Aaron Reynolds turned to heroin, cocaine and a mixture of pills.
Within weeks this fall, the 21-year-old Lewisburg man became lethargic, lost his muscular build and developed a fierce temper. A new group of friends stole his attention, according to Darren, while Cindy said Aaron lost touch with himself.
The downward slide hit bottom last week when Aaron -- reportedly under the influence of of quaaludes, heroin and insulin -- attempted to rob a local gas station, got caught, and hanged himself with bed sheets within hours of being placed in Union County Jail.
Cindy Reynolds said drugs were the cause of Aaron's erratic decisions on Jan. 29-30, but she wants to know why police and prison officials couldn't have done more to prevent his suicide.
"He wouldn't have done something like that in his right mind," said Cindy, adding that Aaron was diabetic since he was 2 and on daily insulin.
"He wasn't right all day," she said. "For him to be that messed up, the police should've known something was wrong, and the prison should've kept an eye on him."
Cindy added, "He should've been taken to a hospital before being put in jail. His sugar (levels) were never good, and there's no way things were right with him with whatever combination of drugs he had."
Lewisburg Police Chief Paul Yost said everything was done by the book -- from the time Aaron was apprehended, booked on a parole violation and placed in an holding cell.
"We saw no negligence on anyone's part relating to the (death)," said Yost, adding that an investigation by the District Attorney D. Peter Johnson, Coroner Wanda Walters and Lewisburg police cleared jail employees and inmates of any criminal involvement.
"We saw no indications he was (suicidal) or he was in a diabetic emergency," the chief said. "The bottom line is these sad things happen, no matter how hard you try to prevent them. If they're going to do something, they're going to do it."
Yost said the responding officers spoke with Aaron at the jail about turning his life around, as well as made an extra stop at Aaron's home to pick up his medications on the way to the jail.
Cindy confirmed the police stopped for insulin, which led her to discover a used spoon and syringe, typically used to inject heroin, in his bedroom.
"We had prior contact with him, so we knew about his condition," Yost said. "We were talking with him, and there was no reason to list him as a special assignment (suicide watch)."
Union County Warden Doug Shaffer said Aaron arrived shortly after 3 a.m. on Jan. 30 and went through the routine in-take procedure for a prior-sentenced inmate because he was being detained on a parole violation.
Aaron spent roughly five weeks in jail from Dec. 5 to Jan. 15 on charges of burglary, criminal trespass and theft, according to court records.
"We have a set policy and follow strict procedures," said Shaffer, adding Aaron's suicide was the first in nearly 14 years at the jail. "All questions were asked and a thorough search was done. There were no signs he was in danger of harming himself or anyone else. We had no problem with him before when he was here, and he appeared he wasn't going to be a problem."
Shaffer added, "It's a very unfortunate thing to have happened. We certainly feel for the family."
Shaffer said Aaron was stripped-searched according to jail policy, then received a jail jumpsuit and slip-on shoes with no shoelaces, which all inmates wear.
Less than two hours after arriving at the jail, Aaron was found hanged just before 5 a.m. Union County Coroner Wanda Walters confirmed the cause of death was ligature.
"We followed protocol, and we did exactly we what needed to do," said Walters, adding the investigation revealed no need for an autopsy or blood tests. "There is not going to be any prosecution, because the investigation determined there was no criminal involvement. There's no need for a blood test because it wasn't pertinent. It wouldn't have changed the cause of or the manner of death."
However, Cindy Reynolds said blood tests would help bring her closure and a better understanding to what drove Aaron to make the choice he did.
"I want to know what was in him to make him do this," Cindy said. "He had (drug problems), but this was never something I thought would ever happen."
Cindy said prison guards could have also stopped Aaron if they had checked his cell more often. Shaffer said all cells are checked hourly.
"It always within an hour," Shaffer said. "It may five (minutes) after the hour or 10 (minutes) before, but checks are always done within 60 minutes."
Looking ahead, Cindy says life will never be the same without her oldest son.
"I wish I knew what happened, and why no one could help him," Cindy said. "It's been real tough without him. I just keep looking at the door waiting for Aaron to walk in."
n E-mail comments to jnorth@dailyitem.com.
