A man accused of killing a pregnant Maryland teacher was found dead for hours in prison before the trial began

A man accused of killing his pregnant friend in Maryland last year was found dead Thursday morning in her cell, hours before the start of her murder trial.

Tyler Tessier was found dead from an apparent suicide around 5:10 am Thursday, Montgomery County police said. He was found in a prison in Clarksburg, Maryland.

Tessier was charged with the death of Laura Wallen, 31, a teacher from Howard County who was 13 weeks pregnant when she was killed. Wallen was found dead on September 13, 2017, after missing for nine days. His body was found in a shallow grave on a farm in Damascus.

A few days before a search team finds Wallen's body and Tessier is charged, Tessier spoke at a press conference with Wallen's family, holding the hand of the mother of Wallen. his girlfriend.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Wallen's family and prosecutors expressed mixed feelings about the shocking news of Tessier's death.

"We have been robbed of the lawsuit," said Wallen's father, Mark Wallen.

"He held our family for the last time today," said Wallen's brother-in-law, describing all the holidays and birthdays missed by Tessier.

Montgomery County Attorney John McCarthy called Tessier a coward and psychopath, and said he had stolen from Wallen's family on the occasion to hear the truth about Tessier revealed to world.

"Today, Mr. Tessier would have counted," he said.

Wallen 's mother and sister cried while talking about her.

Thursday, Tessier was woken up at 4 am to prepare for the court, Montgomery County Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement. He was found suspended in his cell at 4.55am. He could not be revived. EMS teams ended resuscitation efforts shortly after 5:30 am

Investigators discovered that Tessier had left in his prison cell several notes suggesting that he was planning to commit suicide, McCarthy said. Finally, these notes will be published, he said. An investigation into death is under way. There is no indication of foul play.

There was no indication that Tessier was at risk of committing suicide or should be under surveillance, McCarthy said. On Wednesday night, during a phone call in prison, her mother talked about what he would wear in court.

In an unusual move, prosecutors presented Thursday during their press conference much of the evidence against Tessier that they would have presented at the trial the same day. They showed texts that he had sent to the woman he was engaged to, including an envoy six days before Wallen's death saying, "I could literally kill her for what she did." ". Wallen contacted Tessier's fiancée after suspecting that he was having a secret relationship with another woman. Prosecutors say Tessier told the second woman that Wallen was simply pursuing him.

On September 2, 2017, Wallen, of Olney, texted her sister and said that Tessier had taken her on an "adventure" on a farm.

"Tyler made me live an adventure in the country … I do not know why I'm here but it's for something," she wrote, according to the court's records. Wallen sent his sister a picture of a field.

After nine days of absence, Wallen's body was found in a shallow grave on a large farm in Damascus. The authorities said that she had been shot in the back of the head.

While Wallen was missing, Tessier pleaded for his safe return.

"If someone does, understand that you have kidnapped a huge person in the lives of so many people," he said. "I do not know where she is, I do not know, I pray that she will be safe and that she will come back.It is all that matters."

Police had suspected Tessier's involvement since the beginning of the investigation and allowed him to speak at the family's press conference as an investigative strategy, said Tom Manger, police chief. Montgomery County.

"The decision to allow him to participate in this press conference was a calculated decision made by the detectives in this case with the express purpose of hearing what he had to say. 39; approval and knowledge of the victim's family ". I said.

Wallen's father exploded in Tessier after being charged.

"He's a monster and he's a liar," Wallen said. "And it was absolutely the most difficult thing that my wife could do, is to sit next to him and hold his hand."

Tessier then gave the investigators a series of detailed explanations of his death, according to court documents. First, he said that she had asked him to help her disappear because she had had a relationship with a former student. Then he said that African-American men kidnapped them and killed him. Then he said that she had bumped her head and that he had then shot.

Wallen's family said that she was ready to be a mom and had posted her sonogram on her fridge. The police said that Tessier was the father of Wallen's baby and had asked his father's permission to marry him, even if she was engaged to another woman.

Police said the two women were aware of their past relationships with Tessier, but both thought he was dating them exclusively. According to charge documents, Wallen sent a text message to Tessier's fiancée on August 28, 2017, asking if the two could meet.

She was reported missing a week later. Tessier told the police that he had seen Wallen alive on September 4, 2017, but his family said he had not seen her for three days.

Wallen's father said that she was expecting a little boy whom she intended to name Reed.

Wallen was a beloved social science professor at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland. Her students and colleagues worried when she was unable to attend the first day of school on September 5th.

"She was exemplary," said District Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano. "She led with her heart, care and compassion."

Tessier was not charged with the death of the fetus Wallen wore. Based on the age of the fetus, 13 weeks old, Tessier was not punishable by Maryland law, as the fetus was not viable independently of Wallen, according to prosecutors.

Wallen's family called for a change in the law, called Laura and Reid's law. This would allow prosecutors to charge murder suspects, regardless of the age of the unborn child.

Sources had previously told News4 that Tessier had died at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Rockville.

CORRECTION (September 6th at 9:20 am): An earlier version of this article indicated that the jury selection for the Tessier trial was to begin on Thursday. However, jury selection took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, and opening arguments were scheduled to start on Thursday.

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HELPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Anyone affected by domestic violence, including friends and family members who are affected by a loved one, can receive confidential help, advice, information or crisis intervention by calling the number national website thehotline.org, which offers a live chat service.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: Here is information on suicide prevention from the National Institute of Mental Health. If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Service at 800-273-8255 or contact the crisis text line by sending "Home" to 741741.