WORCESTER — The man who died inside the Worcester courthouse on Oct. 6 was a state mental health patient who had survived a similar fall at the same building in 2016.
The man, identified as 42-year-old Wilmer Matias, had been scheduled for a hearing on the fourth floor prior to the incident.
According to the Telegram & Gazette, Matias, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, was a state mental health patient with a documented history of jumping from heights — including from the courthouse’s third floor in 2016. (The courthouse has a total of four floors; Matias’ fatal fall took place from the fourth floor, where his hearing was scheduled to take place last Monday).
Police responded to the courthouse around 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 6 after receiving reports that a man had jumped from an upper-level railing into the building’s central atrium.
Witnesses told This Week in Worcester that they heard shouting and commotion echoing through the courthouse moments before the fall, which halted proceedings in nearby courtrooms as security personnel rushed to the scene.
Following the incident, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police detectives launched a death investigation. The courthouse was closed for the remainder of the day and reopened on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Family members told the Telegram & Gazette that Matias had long struggled with his mental health and was under state psychiatric supervision at the time of his death. They said his history should have prompted greater court security and oversight during his hearing.
Mental health advocates have since called for a full review of the courthouse’s facility design and safety measures.
