Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland said Thursday his office had ruled [Frank L. Pavlico III]'s death a suicide by asphyxia. Pavlico's death occurred inside his home, Rowland said. According to the notation on the arrest warrant, federal probation officers in Pennsylvania indicated Pavlico, 43, had hanged himself.

David C. Stephens, the assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting the South Carolina case, said Pavlico's attorney informed him of the death at 7 a.m. Wednesday - 90 minutes after Rowland's office was summoned to Pavlico's home. An FBI agent in Pennsylvania confirmed the attorney's report with the coroner's office, Stephens said.

"Personally and on behalf of the United States Attorney's Office, I would express our deepest sympathies to Mr. Pavlico's family," Stephens said. "Mr. Pavlico was always polite, well mannered and well spoken when dealing with me and the court."