A report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office confirmed last week that Christopher Jon Hands, who faced a second-degree murder charge stemming from a fatal collision on Lake Mary Road near Flagstaff, took his own life in February.
Hands, 65 at the time of his death, struck and killed motorcyclist Richard Swendsen while driving on Lake Mary Road in October 2024. Hands was allegedly intoxicated when the crash occurred and was charged with driving under the influence and failure to stop for an accident, in addition to murder. After being released from the Coconino County jail on bond, he failed to appear in court on Feb. 18, 2025, and was found dead at his Phoenix home the next day.
In a Feb. 21 court filing seeking dismissal of the case, Hands鈥� attorney Bruce Griffen stated that the death was a suicide. The medical examiner鈥檚 report, released to the Arizona Daily Sun on May 7, officially corroborated that assertion.
An autopsy conducted on Feb. 21 found that Hands died of self-induced asphyxia. An accompanying toxicology report noted that Hands had a significantly elevated blood alcohol level when he died, as well as traces of caffeine and marijuana in his system.
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