Defendant’s suicide abruptly ends elder fraud trial

BELMONT — A local man on trial for defrauding his elderly mother, has died from an apparent suicide, authorities report.

The unresponsive body of Jeffrey Marc Ellsworth Sr. was discovered at his Belmont residence Thursday morning after police and fire personnel went there after getting a call from a concerned neighbor.

Belknap County Attorney Andrew Livernois said Ellsworth’s death was being handled as a suspected suicicde. He said that as of Friday morning no cause of death had been determined.

Ellsworth, 57, was on trIal on two counts of financial exploitation and one charge of theft by deception, for allegedly misappropriating funds from his elderly mother who suffers from dementia, Livernois said.

The testimony phase of the trial had concluded on Wednesday. Once Ellsworth’s fate was learned on Thursday the Belknap County Attorney’s Office dropped the case and the jury was dismissed.

According to a media statement released by the Belmont Police Department, first responders arrived at 25 Cherry St., about 9:33 a.m. after a neighbor called because of concerns of a gas engine running inside an enclosed shed. The door to the shed was found to be locked from the inside. Belmont Police Chief Mark Lewandoski forced the door open and found Ellsworth unresponsive on the floor.