Former Planned Parenthood Marketing Director Commits Suicide During Child Pornography Investigation

The former marketing director of a Planned Parenthood in Connecticut committed suicide days after police raided his New Haven apartment on April 6 as part of a child pornography investigation, The Middletown Press reported. 

Tim Yergeau, 35, who previously worked as director of strategic communications for the Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, died by suicide last Tuesday, according to officials. Both Yergeau’s neighbor and the state Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner confirmed his death, the report states. 

“The person who died was definitely the suspect in a child pornography investigation and the person who committed suicide,” New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson told Hearst Connecticut Media Group last week.

Jacobson confirmed there are still two open investigations related to Yergeau and said police will not release the application for the search warrant or information about what they found in Yergeau’s apartment until they can confirm no one else is involved in the case, according to the report. The state could also decide to release or withhold the warrant.

Investigators will also begin an internal investigation “looking into the city police department’s botched child pornography raid,” after members of the Special Victims Unit initially broke down the door of Yergeau’s neighbor and handcuffed her before realizing they entered the wrong apartment.

“They obviously hit the wrong door,” Jacobson said. “Unfortunately, a mistake was made. …We feel for the woman and we’re going to do everything we can to make it right.”

Yergeau had more recently been employed at the Long Wharf Theatre as marketing and communications director, according to the report. A spokesperson for the theatre told the publication they were “shocked and deeply saddened” by what had happened but said “it would be inappropriate to comment further” given the “difficult news.”