Driver survives apparent suicide attempt, placed in observation cell 

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter 

Troy Driver, the man charged with kidnapping, sexually assaulting and murdering Naomi Irion, survived an apparent suicide attempt in the Lyon County jail and is being held in an observation cell. 

Rumors that Driver committed suicide began to circulate on social media earlier this week, and on Tuesday, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying that Driver is alive, in jail and awaiting his next court date. 

However, a source who asked to remain anonymous confirmed that Driver attempted suicide by hanging himself in the jail on Aug. 20. 

An ambulance from the Yerington/Mason Valley Fire Department was called to the Lyon County Jail at 9:41 a.m. Aug. 20 for a report of a male hanging. Medics arrived and found the man still conscious and breathing, and he was transported to South Lyon Medical Center in Yerington. 

The source confirmed that the person found hanging was Driver, and said Driver tied bed sheets around his neck and to the railing on the upper tier of the jail and jumped over the railing. Deputies also found what appeared to be suicide notes in Driver’s cell. 

Driver’s attorney Richard Davies has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Driver is currently awaiting a competency hearing in Third Judicial District Court in Yerington, following an order by Canal Township Justice of the Peace Lori Matheus, in response to a motion filed by Driver’s attorneys asking for a competency evaluation. Matheus also suspended further court hearings until that competency evaluation is completed. 

Driver was arrested March 25 and charged with kidnapping Naomi Irion from the Walmart parking lot on March 12. Her body was found buried in a shallow grave March 29 in a remote area in Churchill County. The cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Charges of murder and sexual assault were later added to the kidnapping, robbery, burglary and destruction of evidence charges initially filed against Driver. 

Lyon County Sheriff Frank Hunewill released the following statement:

The Sheriff’s Office has received requests regarding a whether an attempted suicide occurred at the Lyon County Jail.  An attempted suicide is treated as a medical/mental health incident and if such an event occurs, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office may provide medical and mental health services for any inmate involved. 

Per policy and Nevada and Federal law, medical and mental health information is confidential.  Policy 731 defines “Protected health information – Information that relates to the prisoner’s past, present or future physical or mental health or condition, the provision of medical care to the prisoner, or the past, present or future payment for the provision of health care to the prisoner (45 CFR 160.103).”  The policy further states that “it is the policy of this office to maintain the confidentiality of prisoners’ protected health information.”  In accordance with this policy and to protect an inmate’s protected health information, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office does not release information related to medical or mental health incidents involving inmates, including suicide attempts, which occur at the Lyon County Jail.

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