A man charged with kidnapping in the disappearance of a Harrison County teenager last week committed suicide in his cell in a Kansas City area jail.

That’s the word from a medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on 24-year-old Elijah McPike, found dead in his cell in Wyandotte County Tuesday night.

Sheriff’s Lieutenant Kelli Bailiff says her department was not notified of McPike’s suicidal tendencies, despite the fact that the original endangered-person advisory hinged on those tendencies.

“Since he had just been located here, we were not aware of the situation that was going on in Missouri,” Bailiff said in an interview.

“When they walk into the facility they fill out a form, and they are asked pertinent medical questions. One of those ‘homicidal or suicidal tendencies,’ he answered ‘no.’ He was very cooperative.”

Bailiff says for the three days McPike was in their custody, he did not display any actions that would lead the medical staff to believe he was suicidal.

Bailiff says the medical examiner confirmed his death was a suicide. He asphyxiated himself with a sheet.

“Every hour the deputy has to check on every inmate,” Bailiff said. “A check was done on Mr McPike’s cell at 7:33 p.m. He was actually standing at the window and the officer was able to see his face and converse with him at the time.”

“On the next check, which occurred at 8:24 p.m., that same deputy found him with a sheet around his neck.”

McPike was charged last week with kidnapping and violating a protective order. Harrison County Sheriff Josh Eckerson said that Bailey Summers left a home in Gilman City with McPike voluntarily. Eckerson said in an interview that McPike was believed to be armed, and was known to be violent and suicidal.

McPike and Summers were both handcuffed when found by officers in Kansas City, Kansas nearly two days after the pair disappeared.