Michael Schumacher Coma News: Suspect in Medical Theft Found Dead; Suicide Possible

Michael Schumacher, of Germany, sits in his car during a free practice at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (AP Photo/Victor Caivano, File)

A senior executive at a Switzerland-based air rescue service who is suspected of stealing ex-F1 champ Michael Schumacher’s medical records has been found dead.

The Zurich public prosecutor said that the man, who was not identified, denied the accusations, according to SwissInfo.ch.

However, he was later found dead in his cell on Wednesday morning, apparently hanging himself, according to The Mirror.

The man was not identified.

Swiss officials said there’s no evidence that a third party was involved in his death.

The medical records belonging to Schumacher, who hit his head while skiing in December and was left in a coma for nearly six months, were apparently stolen while he was transfered from the Grenoble hospital to University Hospital of Lausanne in June after he came out of a coma.

A few weeks later, it was revealed that his medical records were stolen, and the perpetrators were trying to sell them off for about 60,000 Swiss francs.. The messages about the sale of the records were said to have come from a computer with an IP address in Zurich.

The investigation led prosecutors to the Rega employee, who was arrested on Tuesday. He denied wrongdoing in questioning by police, and prosecutors had planned to question him further.

Prosecutors said they currently have no evidence of further suspects and likely will close the case.

“This tragic event leaves us sad and speechless,” Rega chief executive Ernst Kohler said, adding that the company is offering support to the man’s relatives.

Rega has said it organized Schumacher’s transfer to Lausanne and, as part of that, was given a medical report by the Grenoble hospital where he had been treated since his accident.

Schumacher’s accident happened on a family vacation as he was skiing with his 14-year-old son at the Meribel ski resort in the French Alps. He hit the right side of his head on a rock, cracking his helmet. Doctors operated to remove blood clots from his brain, but some were left because they were too deeply embedded.

Schumacher’s condition stabilized after he was placed in a drug-induced coma, from which he has since emerged.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.