After the first count was read Thursday afternoon and a Denton County jury returned a guilty verdict, Edward Leclair, 57, began drinking from a plastic water bottle filled with what appeared to be a clear liquid, attorney Mike Howard said. . “I looked over and noticed him drinking,” Howard said. “His hand was shaking. At the time, I thought he was shaking because of the verdict. Then he just kept drinking and drinking.” 16th District Court of Denton County in Texas. (Google Maps) Assistant District Attorney Jamie Beck told the Denton Record-Chronicle that the liquid looked “turbid.” He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is unclear what was in Leclair’s bottle. Leclerc, a former Navy engineer and corporate recruiter, was charged two years ago with five counts of sexually assaulting a person between the ages of 14 and 17. He said he was innocent of the charges, Howard said. The conviction came after three and a half hours of deliberations, and LeClair faced a possible sentence ranging from probation to 100 years, Howard said. “With charges like these, if they find a defendant guilty a very severe punishment is certainly possible,” Howard said. Leclerc was bonded out during the trial and is not subject to the same restrictions as someone in custody, his lawyer said. He drank most of what was in the bottle before being led to a cell to await sentencing, Howard said. Howard spoke briefly with his client while he waited there, and LeClair appeared “disappointed and shocked — everything you’d expect,” Howard said. Minutes later, back in the courtroom, the bailiff said LeClair threw up, Howard said. The jurors were sent home and Leclair was transported by garage to the hospital. “Forty-five minutes after the whole thing started, I was notified by the hospital that he had been pronounced dead,” Howard said. The story continues Jurors returned Friday and were told of Leclair’s death. They were told it wasn’t their fault, he said. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death. The Denton County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Texas Department of Public Safety. Howard said he never saw LeClair — who he described as “thoughtful” and actively involved in his defense — put anything in the bottle. But, he added: “We weren’t looking for it. Honestly, no one was.”
