JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (Editor's Note: This story contains descriptions of suicide attempts that some may find disturbing and/or triggering.)
Convicted killer Kimberly Kessler has attempted suicide twice since her December murder conviction, according to jail records obtained exclusively by First Coast News.
In December, Kessler was convicted in the May 2018 disappearance and presumed death of Joleen Cummings, a 34-year-old Yulee hairdresser and mother of three who worked with Kessler.
Cummings' body has never been found.
According to the jail incident reports, Kessler attempted to kill herself on Christmas by strangling herself with a sock.
Jail records show she also tried to kill herself on Nov. 30, by wrapping the elastic from a pair of underwear around her neck.
According to jail officials, Kessler downplayed the first attempt. After the sock was removed from her neck, she reportedly said, "Come on, we all know this doesn't work!"
In the second incident, reports indicate, Kessler was red in the face when she was found lying by her jail cell door with elastic around her neck.
The incident report says she began to say, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," when jail employees removed the material.
Kessler's mental health has been an issue in the case from the beginning. After initially declaring her mentally incompetent to stand trial, the judge later said Kessler was capable of understanding the case against her.
She refused to participate in the trial, however, and created disruptions during her brief court appearances. She spent most of the trial in a separate room with a video link to the proceedings.
Kessler is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday and faces life in prison, a mandatory sentence in a first-degree murder case where the death penalty isn’t sought.
First Coast News will livestream the sentencing starting at 1:30 p.m.
We can all help prevent suicide. The National Suicide Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Phone number: 800-273-8255