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High-Profile Suicide Creates Media Frenzy In Tarpon

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BY MARK SCHANTZ

SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF

Published: May 3, 2008

TARPON SPRINGS - Erwin Matthews, a resident of Sun Valley Estates Mobile Home Park for about a dozen years, said word of the death of the "D.C. Madame" shocked the community, Thursday morning.

"It's sad and shocking," Matthews said.

The nation's gaze was focused here Thursday after the woman convicted last month of running a high-priced Washington, D.C., call-girl ring took her life.

Deborah Jeane Palfrey, 52, apparently hung herself in a shed at her mother's mobile home here, Capt. Jeff Young of the Tarpon Springs Police Department said.

Foul play did not appear to be involved, police said at the time of the discovery.

Matthews said Palfrey arrived at the park about a week ago to stay with her mother. Blanche Palfrey, 76, is a well-liked woman who had lived in the community about 10 years, he said.

Matthews, a friend of Blanche Palfrey, said her husband died about five years ago from cancer.

Some Sun Valley residents were aware the shy, petite Deborah Palfrey was the woman who had been dubbed the D.C. Madam, Matthews said. She was quiet and mostly stayed to herself, he said.

News off the death set of alerts in newsrooms across the country. Soon after the story broke, a producer from CNN was calling around in search of local reporters to interview on Palfrey's death.

In April Palfrey was convicted by a federal jury of running a prostitution service catering to rich and elite clients in the nation's capital.

She denied knowing women who worked for her escort service were engaging in illegal activity.

At the time of her death Palfrey was awaiting sentencing and could have received up to 50 years in prison.

Two handwritten notes were found on scene Thursday stated Deborah Palfrey's intention to take her life, police said in the initial press release announcing the discovery of her body. Other written material was taken from the scene by police, Young said.

Young said Palfrey's mother awoke from a nap shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday to find her daughter gone. She noticed a three-wheel bicycle had been removed from the shed, went to investigate and found her daughter inside, hanging from a nylon rope.

Blanche Palfrey had seen her daughter that morning but Deborah did not appear despondent, police said.

"The mother is distraught as you might expect," Young said.

Mark Schantz can be contacted at 727-815-1075 or mschants@suncoastnews.com

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