Former brain surgeon, Kohut, found dead at Santa Cruz jail

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of inmate James Kohut after he was found dead early Sunday morning at the Santa Cruz County main jail.

Kohut was found alone in his cell when breakfast service began at 5:45 a.m.

Kohut did not share a cell with any other inmates and lived in a protective housing unit.

An autopsy to determine the cause of death will be performed later this week, but early assessments indicate Kohut likely took his own life.

“He was previously on suicide watch at the beginning of his incarceration, but he hasn’t been for the past several months, so we had no indication that this was going to happen or that he wanted to hurt himself,” said Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Ashley Keehn.

He was being held in jail since May 14, 2017 on felony sex related charges.

Kohut, a former brain surgeon for Dominican Hospital, was arraigned on multiple child sex charges including sodomy, oral copulation and forcible lewd acts upon five children 14 and under back in 2017.

Kohut, along with Watsonville nurses Emily Stevens and Rashell Brandon, is accused of sexually assaulting children as young as 3-years-old.

Kohut, Brandon and Stephens were all facing over 40 felony charges each.

This is a developing story.

KION 2019