A paedophile on trial in Texas charged with multiple counts of child sexual assault died after chugging a bottle of mystery liquid in the courtroom while a jury convicted him.
Edward Leclair, 57 was on trial in Denton, 65 kilometres outside of Dallas, on five counts of sexual abuse.
He started drinking the liquid after the jury found him guilty on the first count of sex abuse and continued glugging as the others were read on Thursday afternoon (local time).
Leclair's defence attorney Mike Howard said when he looked over and saw his client drinking, he immediately noticed "his hand was shaking".
"At the time, I thought it was shaking because of the verdict. Then he kept drinking and drinking," he told NBC News.
"Shortly after entering the holdover cell, he started vomiting, and emergency services were called."
Howard added he never saw Leclair put anything in the bottle and didn't know what was in it.
Denton County assistant district attorney Jamie Beck told CNN that the investigator also noticed Leclair "chug" the liquid.
"He told the bailiff he might want to go check on him. The bailiff did. He was unconscious in the holding cell."
Leclair was pronounced dead at the Medical City Denton hospital at 3:21pm on Thursday, preliminary records from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said.
An autopsy has been ordered and the cause of death is listed as pending.
