SAN DIEGO — A sailor charged with murder who committed suicide in the brig at Camp Pendleton asphyxiated himself by stuffing toilet paper in his mouth, a Navy spokesman said today.
Petty Officer Jonathan Campos of Lancaster was found unresponsive in his cell about 12:20 p.m. Friday, said Navy spokesman Doug Sayers. He was rushed to the base hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
“He was intent on committing suicide and stuffed toilet paper into his mouth until he asphyxiated,” Sayers said.
Campos, 32, was charged July 23 in connection to the fatal shooting of Seaman August Provost of Houston. On June 30, Provost, 29, was shot several times in the sentry station at Camp Pendleton.
Campos was charged with murder and a series of other crimes including illicit drug use, larceny, burglary, theft, arson and unlawful handling of a dead body, according to a Navy statement.
Provost’s family believed his shooting may have been a hate crime. The family said Provost, who was gay, complained of being harassed about his sexuality in the days before his death.
Navy officials rejected those claims and said there is no record of Provost filing a harassment report.
Officials said Campos, a gas system technician, had been cooperating with investigators.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service continued to investigate the shooting death, according to Sayers.
An autopsy has been ordered for Campos.
Campos and Provost were both assigned to Assault Craft Unit 5.
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