The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
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Lynwood Noah remembered for his work in the prosector's office
Local resident showed signs of depression before taking his life
By Steve Ricci, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 24, 2005
About two weeks before he died, Lynwood Noah brought his two dogs to Lane Animal Hospital, asking his sister, Donna Lane, to find new homes for them.
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Shortly after noon Feb. 16, Noah, 68, walked to the dogs' exercise area in the yard of his Hankerd Road home in Dexter Township, and took his own life.
The suicide snuffed out the brilliant mind of a natural prosecutor, friends, family members and co-workers said this week.
Noah worked as Washtenaw County's deputy chief assistant prosecutor for 25 years before retiring in 1993, ending a career that included prosecuting hundreds of capital criminal trails — including several high-profile cases in the county's history.
Those cases included a 1987 drunken-driving conviction of renowned Michigan attorney Geoffrey Fieger; prosecution of Leo Kelly, a University of Michigan student convicted of killing two other students in a university dormitory; and conviction of Billy Hardesty, a man who unsuccessfully pleaded insanity after committing a one-night murder spree in 1978, killing five people, including his parents, in Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
Lane said Monday that although he seemed to be well during the Thanksgiving holiday, her brother had become severely depressed during the last six weeks.
"He was very quiet and withdrawn at Christmas," Lane said. "I could see the sadness. The twinkle in his eye was gone."
Lane said Noah had been suffering from intense headaches, and was taking medications for high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as antidepressant medication.
He had been seeing a psychiatrist, Lane said, adding that she thought her brother's mix of medications, in addition to his recent weight loss, might have altered his brain chemistry enough to make him suicidal.
"He became very negative about everything," Lane said.
Lane also said Noah left a note saying that his headaches had become intolerable, but that he otherwise gave no indication that he was suicidal.
Ironically, Lane said Noah had recently shed about 80 pounds by exercising vigorously at the Chelsea Community Hospital Health and Wellness Center and strictly altering his diet.
"He really enjoyed the camaraderie (at the health and wellness center)," Lane said.
Lane said that in retrospect, Noah probably shouldn't have retired from his job with the county, which he left with a buyout package, because of his inquisitive nature and his raw intelligence.
"When he retired, I told him, "What are you going to do with your mind? He had a very high IQ," Lane said.
Lifelong friend and longtime Chelsea attorney John Keusch praised Noah for his high intelligence and professional skills Monday.
"He had a mind capacity that was huge, and a very precise memory," Keusch said.
"He had more information in his head about local lore and events than any person I know. On many occasions, when I was stuck about information, I would call Lynwood."
Washtenaw County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Steve Hiller said Tuesday that Noah "had great intellectual curiosity," and "was a vigorous advocate for victims."
"He was all prosecutor, and he was very dedicated to his work," Hiller said. "When there was a really tough case to try, I remember that Lynwood was the one to march in and do it.
"It's no question that he was a very bright guy. He was a student of everything," Hiller said.
Prosecuting Attorney Brian Mackie, who worked with Noah for a number of years, said that Noah was a prosecutor at heart, had a photographic memory and that he "hated bullies."
"Lynwood was a loyal enemy to some people, but every one of his enemies was a bully. He never picked on an enemy who wasn't strong.
"He loved intellectual challenge, and he was an extremely quick study," Mackie said Tuesday.
Mackie said Noah especially enjoyed countering insanity defenses, which he learned a lot about psychiatry and psychology along the way.
Noah could be "a devastating cross-examiner" of defense witnesses in insanity cases, Mackie said.
Mackie also praised Noah for being extremely devoted to his family, and noted that Noah seemed depressed of late.
"Depression is an illness that's fatal with 20 percent of the people who suffer from it," he said. "He wasn't enjoying life and he was pretty troubled."
Longtime friend and coworker Jim Drolett remembered a different side of Noah, recalling the laughs they shared.
"He had a devilish sense of humor," Drolett said. "He liked harmless practical jokes.
"He was a dear guy."
Lane said that in the end, her brother's professional knowledge of mental illness might have tragically led to his own demise.
"I think deep down, he never wanted to be hospitalized for depression," Lane said. "He was a mentally sick person, and I don't think any of us really realized the extent of it."
Lane, who remembered that Noah was always there to guide her and help his family, said that men are more prone than women to giving up instead of seeking help when depressed.
In the wake of her brother's death, she urged anyone suffering from depression to seek help in whatever form is most comfortable.
"You can talk to a friend, a minister or a social worker — just talk to somebody," she said.
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