Lehigh County, PA — Kevin Esterly, 53, a Whitehall Township resident who was awaiting sentencing on charges of sexually assaulting an underage girl, was found dead in his Lehigh County Jail cell early Tuesday morning. The death has been ruled a suicide by the county coroner.
Esterly had previously made national headlines in 2018 when he fled to Mexico with a runaway teen. He pleaded guilty and received a sentence of up to five years for corruption of minors, which was considered the maximum at that time under Pennsylvania law. Last year, Esterly faced new charges after his former victim came forward as an adult; she testified in court about enduring sexual abuse from around age 12.
The jury deliberated for just one hour before finding Esterly guilty on all counts including rape and statutory sexual assault. He was scheduled to be sentenced June 30, with a hearing set to determine if he should be designated as a sexually violent predator under Megan’s Law. The potential sentence ranged from five years to up to 87 years in state prison.
District Attorney Gavin Holihan stated that Esterly was found unresponsive around 1:30 AM and medical aid was immediately administered until emergency responders took over, but Esterly was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after 2:16 AM. According to officials, there were no indications of mental health issues or medication use leading up to his death.
Esterly had been placed in a single cell due to recent movements within the jail population. The Lehigh County Homicide Task Force is investigating the circumstances surrounding Esterly’s death, though it has already been ruled as suicide by Coroner Daniel A. Buglio.