Cass County child sex abuse trial ends with suicide by defendant Mikel Fort

Cass County Prosecutor Noah Schafer confirms that Mikel Fort, who was on trial before a jury on charges of child sexual abuse, died by suicide earlier in Fort Wayne.

Trial proceedings have been terminated as a result.

Fort’s codefendant Amanda Sayger was convicted at trial last year and is currently serving a sentence of more than 200 years.

"Our first thoughts today are with the victim and their family," said Prosecutor Schafer. "This case has already asked so much of them. They have shown extraordinary courage in coming forward and in preparing to testify again. While today's outcome was not the one we set out to achieve in the courtroom, we are deeply grateful that the victim will not have to relive this trauma on the witness stand a second time."

Schafer noted that, with Fort's codefendant already convicted and sentenced, this bring a measure of closure to a case that has spanned several years of investigation and litigation.  That outcome would not have been achieved without the hard work of Chief Deputy Prosecutor Tom Lupke who began the trial and LPD Detective Jason Rozzi, whose investigation was instrumental in bringing the both defendants to justice.

"There is real closure here, and we take some measure of satisfaction in that," Schafer said. "But we want to be honest with this community: justice, in the fullest sense, has only been partially served. A jury did not have the opportunity to reach a verdict in this case, and the accountability our justice system is built to provide was cut short."

The office also extended its condolences to Fort’s family.

"Suicide is always a tragedy, regardless of the circumstances that precede it," Schafer said. "We recognize that the defendant leaves behind family members who are grieving today, and we extend our sympathy to them as they process this loss."

The Prosecutor's Office asks that the community respect the privacy of all those affected, including the victim and their family, as well as the family of the defendant, during this time.