Originally published July 7, 2009 at 12:00 AM | Page modified July 7, 2009 at 1:32 AM
Comments (4)
E-mail article
Print view
Share
Death of rape suspect in King County Jail declared suicide
The King County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled the death of Sankarandi Skanda, who was on trial for rape, robbery and burglary, a suicide. Skanda died three days before prosecutors were expected to rest the state's case.
Seattle Times staff reporter
In the months since Sankarandi Skanda demanded the right to represent himself in court against charges of rape, robbery and burglary, his intensity appeared to wane.
On Thursday, the lanky man with thick eyebrows and close-cropped hair sat quietly at the defense table asking few questions of the state's witnesses. It was a far cry from the early days of the trial when he fashioned a defense based on a claim — which some called far-fetched — that he was being falsely accused by a woman who once asked Skanda to kill her husband.
Skanda, also known as Franklin Antill, was found dead inside his cell at the King County Jail early Friday. Authorities say that a noose he fashioned out of bedsheets was tied around his neck and a hefty stack of trial paperwork was jammed against the cell door in an apparent attempt to keep jail staff from getting inside.
The King County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled Skanda's death a suicide. Jail officials say that a suicide note has not been found.
Seattle police Detective Christopher Young, who investigated the Wallingford rape, said Skanda recently "made some offhand comment about 'I'm sailing this ship into the ground.' "
"He seemed more focused on preparing for appeals," Young said.
Defense attorney Gary Davis, who acted as Skanda's legal adviser, said Skanda repeatedly threatened to commit suicide while serving time in an Idaho prison a decade ago on burglary charges. But, Davis said, Skanda hadn't talked about harming himself during his King County trial.
"Frank was somebody who wanted to be in control. He was pretty guarded," Davis said.
After the case was dismissed Monday, jurors were eager to talk about their perceptions of Skanda and his defense. Several jurors said they would have voted him guilty on all charges.
"Guilty, guilty, guilty," said juror Alice Sieger of Seattle. "He had no credibility."
Dennis Ferguson, a juror from Kent, said that "nothing supported his case at all."
"I got the feeling that [the jury] felt he was 100 percent guilty," Ferguson said.
![]()
At the time of his death, Skanda was under investigation for drug possession after jail officers found two small packets of what appeared to be heroin inside his cell about two weeks ago, authorities said. King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Julie Kays said that Skanda also had stolen crime-scene photos from the courtroom.
Prosecutors were expected to rest the state's case on Monday, and Skanda would have started presenting evidence against the allegation that he broke into the Wallingford home Oct. 20 and confronted the 34-year-old woman while she was paying bills. Police said Skanda put a knife to the woman's throat and demanded money before raping her and stealing her credit card.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company
NEW - 12:17 AM
Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
Flood fears dampen business, home sales
Nicole Brodeur: Homeless woman bent on giving
Portland cafe's specialty: medical-marijuana tokes
Thousands of tax-refund checks undeliverable

PNW Magazine | Easy As Pie
A little friendly competition between professional pie-baker Kate McDermott and The Seatttle Times' Kathleen Triesch Saul is handled with great taste.
general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Sporting goods
just listed
Christmas Swags - $15
Christmas Wreath - $25
Electric Adjustable Twin size Bed with Headboard - $150
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
shopping
events for Tuesday, Nov. 24
- Shoe Sale at Urban Kids Play
- Sky Nursery Holiday Open House
- Floating Leaves Tea Fall Sale
- Cicada Bridal Party Dress Sale
editors' picks
- Spas & beauty salons
- Maternity shopping
- Independent bookstores
- Vintage, consignment and used clothing
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Jerry Brewer | Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Husky Football Blog | Ranking the Pac
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
408 - Climate change speeds up since 1997 Kyoto accord
215 - Metro won't cut bus service after all
160 - New Husky recruit: Enes Kanter
106 - Bellevue residents blast new bikini espresso stand
99 - Middleton says Huskies "plan on scoring at least 50 points'' Saturday
86 - Tattoos at Mill Creek Church pierce skin, soul
85 - Seattle woman charged with knife attack on boyfriend's ex
77 - Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
75 - Senate Democrats split on health bill's fate
58
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'
- Hutch gets $10M from Bezos family for immunotherapy research
- UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
- Children in home day care watching hours of TV, study says
- Taste | The Great Pie Bake-off pits friends and fruit





