Friends and authorities were searching for answers as to why John Yannarell, the man suspected in three separate road rage incidents including the shooting of a woman on Route 422 earlier this month, would have taken his own life.
The 50-year-old engineer was found dead of an apparent suicide inside his Gilbertsville, Pa. home Thursday afternoon. It was the culmination of a multi-state manhunt that was launched after Yannarell failed to show up for court Thursday morning.
Two suicide notes were left behind that could reveal some of Yannarell’s thoughts. One was addressed to prosecutors and the other to family members.
Yannarell was found with a rifle and prescription pain killers (Oxycodone and Percocet) nearby but no official word was given on how he died. An autopsy was conducted Friday morning to officially determine the cause of death.
The contents of the letters weren't known but the road that lead Yannarell to take his own life has become clearer.
Yannarell’s lawyer Saul Solomon tipped off his client Wednesday night that the engineer would be charged in two other recent road rage cases and that his bail would be increased when he appeared in district court for the original Route 422 shooting.
“He felt like the poster boy for road rage,” said Solomon Thursday.
Prosecutors didn’t necessarily disagree with that distinction.
“This guy is someone who will take a handgun who will take a handgun and fire it at an unarmed citizen without blinking twice,” said Assistant District Attorney John Gradel.
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Yannarell was previously described as a “hot head” by a neighbor so the road rage allegations weren’t too surprising. But no one could have seen this end coming.
Why would Yannarell take his own life? It possibly had something to do with how hard being behind bars was for him when he was held two weeks ago.
“He was concerned about going to jail,” said friend W. Matthew Johns.
“I guess he couldn’t handle going back to jail after the two days he spent in jail,” said neighbor/friend Robert Sammaritano.
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