'D.C. Madam' is found hanged
MICHAEL MUSKAL LOS ANGELES TIMES, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Deborah Palfrey was free in Florida, pending sentencing on July 24.
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/sites/heraldtribune/images/favicon.png
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Deborah Jeane Palfrey, known as the "D.C. Madam" and convicted of operating an escort service that supplied prostitutes to Washington officials, hanged herself Thursday morning at her mother's home in Tarpon Springs, authorities said.

"The victim of an apparent suicide by hanging has been identified as Deborah Jeane Palfrey," Tarpon Springs police said. Palfrey, 52, was found by her mother, Blanche Palfrey, 76, police said.

"Blanche Palfrey had awoken from a nap and began to search the residence for her daughter. ... When she went outside, she noticed a three-wheel bicycle had been moved that was normally kept in the shed. Upon entering the shed located on the west side of the residence, Blanche Palfrey discovered her daughter Deborah had apparently hanged herself using a nylon rope from a metal beam on the ceiling of the shed. She then called 911," Tarpon Springs Police Capt. Jeffrey P. Young said.

He said that the mother had not noticed her daughter exhibiting any suicidal behavior.

The "mother is very distraught," Young said. "Discovering your child in this state is not something anybody wants to go to."

The Pinellas County medical examiner's office will conduct an autopsy and determine the cause of death, officials said.

Young said hand-written notes describing Palfrey's desire to kill herself were recovered.

Palfrey was convicted April 15 by a federal jury of money laundering, using the mail system for illegal purposes and racketeering.

She was free pending sentencing on July 24, when she could have received a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

Prosecutors said Palfrey operated the prostitution service for 13 years, earning more than $2 million.

She had insisted that if women engaged in sex for money, it was without her consent.

One of the famous clients who was accused of using the service was Sen. David Vitter, R-La.

He apologized in July 2007, after his telephone number appeared among those connected to Palfrey.