A local woman is dead tonight after apparently committing suicide in the Bay County jail. The woman allegedly asphyxiated herself with a bed sheet about two weeks after she was taken off suicide watch.

Twenty-six year-old Maureen Hutchinson had a troubled past before her apparent suicide on Sunday night. Three years ago, she climbed a radio tower at the Panama City Fire Department's main station in downtown Panama City, threatening to jump. After two hours, police officers climbed up and rescued her.

Five years ago, Hutchinson asked a couple of men fishing from the old Dupont bridge about the depth of the water. Then, she jumped. The fishermen went after her, managing to keep her afloat until Parker Fire & Rescue could pull them all ashore.

Hutchinson spent time in and out of jail and hospitals, from a number of episodes of self-mutilation. Given her history, some believe Hutchinson had already dodged death several times.

Rick Anglin, Warden at the Bay County Jail, "I can tell you that the staff here have probably saved this same girl's life many, many times. Sooner or later, they're not going to get there on time."

Hutchinson was in custody for violating probation. The charges stemmed from a previous psychological episode. Family members say Hutchinson suffered from bipolar disorder. But her family says her run-ins with the law were a result of trying to get her the help she needed

Her husband, James Bearden, says, "I had her locked up, right here in this house, because she threatened to kill herself and there was nothing I could do with her." After calling the police asking for help, "He said, put a charge on her, so I put a petty theft on her to lock her up and get her help."

Hutchinson was taken off suicide watch on March 9th on orders from an in-house mental health counselor, and placed on a general medical observation. She was in jail waiting for a bed at the Florida State hospital in Chattahoochee, where she would receive treatment to be deemed competent enough to stand trial.

And that's the issue for Hutchinson's family. They say Maureen should not have been in jail in the first place. They say the state does not have adequate facilities to take care of such fragile people. Her mother, Tammy Golden, says, "I just feel that there should be something more for people like that, with extensive medical problems."

To a certain extent, jail officials agree. Bay county officials say around 20-25% of inmates need psychiatric medicine. Anglin says, "What happens is this jail becomes a mental health facility for the lack of better facilities across the state. The jails across the states are the ones housing these inmates with mental health issues."

In this case, Maureen not only cut short her own life, but a second as well. Her family says she was four months pregnant with Bearden's child. It would have been the couple's first.

Bay County sheriff's officials say they're still investigating Hutchinson's death. Her family says they want to focus national attention on the need for specialized facilities for those with bipolar disorder like Maureen Hutchinson.