Former UF Health doctor left notes before suicide at Alachua County Jail

The death of a former UF Health doctor at the Alachua County Jail who faced dozens of child sexual abuse material charges has been ruled a suicide, according to a report obtained by The Sun through a public records request.

According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office investigation report citing findings from the District 8 Medical Examiner’s Office, Chintan Shah died from “asphyxiation due to obstruction of the mouth and nose” and ruled the manner of death a suicide after he placed a garbage bag over his head.

Investigators concluded that no crimes had been committed in connection with Shah’s death, and the case was cleared and closed.

Shah was found dead Aug. 13 with a garbage bag over his head and a ligature around his neck while his hands and legs were bound with clothing, according to an Aug. 13 report by Deputy Luis Forero.

Deputy Gregory Guzman later notified Shah’s wife, Ritu Shah, of his death. She told investigators he had never discussed or hinted at suicide.

ACSO forensics investigator Savanna Galloway wrote in an Aug. 19 report that, after emergency responders removed Shah from his cell and attempted lifesaving measures, he was lying on his back in the common area outside the cell with medical equipment attached to and around him.

“I observed a pair of the jail uniform pants across the common area on the floor with a knot tied in the pant legs. I observed three cut ligature pieces in the entryway of Shah’s jail cell and two more cut ligature pieces on the mattress which was located on the floor. The ligatures appeared to have been fashioned out of pairs of socks,” Galloway wrote.

On the bottom bunk, Galloway found a handwritten note on a piece of cardboard with a pen on top of it. The note documented hourly “check-ins,” with the final entry listed at 1:10 a.m. It also referenced obtaining a plastic bag, borrowing socks and included a message about a wife.

In a Sept. 29 report, Detective Joseph Thompson wrote that Shah had been the subject of a disciplinary report on Aug. 12 for using a telephone despite a court order prohibiting phone use. Thompson wrote that Shah had used another inmate’s account to place calls.

Detention officers told investigators Shah was found covered by a blanket, with a garbage bag over his head and his hands and feet bound. Officers used shears to cut away the bindings before life-saving efforts began.

Thompson later determined the times listed in the handwritten note matched detention officer welfare checks conducted overnight Aug. 12-13.

The note contained the phrases “Get a plastic bag by lying to someone to make goolage tonight,” “Use old borrowed and new purchased socks” and “Cant see or talk to Ritu, which was my only lifeline. She suffering more than me. My wife is my everything.”

Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed Shah entering his cell alone on Aug. 12 at 10:22 p.m. A short time later, another inmate was seen placing a black garbage bag on the floor and kicking it into the cell. No one entered the cell afterward.

When questioned, the inmate said Shah had asked for socks because his feet were cold and did not express suicidal thoughts. Thompson wrote that the inmate became upset and appeared to feel responsible.

“I expressed that since the inmate was honest with me, I did not feel he needed to be disciplined for this specific situation,” Thompson wrote.

Thompson also reviewed letters addressed to Shah’s wife. Describing a portion written in Gujarati, he wrote that the letter appeared to be a farewell letter and that a translation described it as a “first and last love letter.” Investigators determined a fingerprint recovered from the handwritten note matched Shah.

“There is reference to meeting again in the ‘next birth.’ There are instructions on retirement accounts and information regarding his opinions and studies in the medical field,” Thompson wrote.

The Sun reported July 8 that the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office announced Shah’s arrest after deputies executed a search warrant at his Newberry home.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, members of its Digital Crimes Unit and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cyber tip in early April alleging that a social media user had shared a video depicting the sexual abuse of a child.

Shah faced more than 50 charges across four criminal cases, including child cruelty, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, and use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a crime.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Former UF Health doctor left notes before suicide at Alachua County Jail

Reporting by Elliot Tritto, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun

This story was originally published October 13, 2026 at 5:59 PM.