Ex-MMA fighter War Machine has apparently had enough. The fighter tried to kill himself in his Las Vegas jail cell where he still awaits trial for a brutal assault and the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, porn star Christy Mack.
TMZ carried the tale on Thursday wherein law enforcement sources claimed that War Machine, whose real name is Jon Koppenhaver, was discovered in his cell around 9:30 Tuesday night in the midst of an apparent attempt at suicide.
A correctional officer found War Machine sitting on the ground with his feet up on the bunk bed of his cell. Reportedly, the fighter was unresponsive when the officer called to him.
When the officer entered the cell, he found War Machine with a piece of linen around his neck. That strip was tied to the leg of his bed and War Machine’s face was purple. Cutting the linen, the officer removed it, and War Machine’s breathing reportedly became more regular.
TMZ also reports that officers found what appeared to be a suicide note in the cell, though the contents of that note were not released. War Machine currently sits in a medical isolation cell on suicide watch.
The former MMA fighter might find it difficult to engender much sympathy as his alleged assault on Christy Mack and her friend Corey Thomas drew no small amount of disgust across the internet.
In August, Mack took to her Twitter account, posting graphic photos of the damage she says that War Machine did to her. According to Mack, Koppenhaver first attacked Thomas, throwing him out of the house before turning on her.
Added below are the graphic photos and story about what happened pic.twitter.com/U1T1X2OP4d
— Christy Mack (@ChristyMack) August 11, 2014
Mack says that her ex-boyfriend then forced her to strip and shower in front of him and then set to beating her. The disturbing pictures show Mack’s swollen face, multiple contusions, and stab sounds she says came from War Machine’s attack on her with a kitchen knife.
In all, Mack sustained 18 broken bones around her eyes, two breaks to her nose, several lost and broken teeth, a fractured rib, and a severely ruptured liver as well as a badly injured leg.
The attack spawned a manhunt that ended in mid-August when Koppenhaver was apprehended in Simi Valley, California. War Machine was eventually extradited to Las Vegas and now faces 32 felony charges, including three counts of battery with substantial bodily harm, one count of open and gross lewdness, one count of battery by strangulation, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of coercion/threat with force.
As The Daily Mail notes , authorities have added another two dozen charges since his initial arrest including felonies that stretch back to May of 2013. Those new charges include burglary, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual assault.
MMAMania points out that Koppenhaver’s attorney has asked to postpone the planned proceedings in the hopes of putting together a plea bargain. The Las Vegas Justice of the Peace reportedly granted that request.
[Lead image via Bloody Elbow ]