Photo: Tribune News Service
Roger Golubski, a former Kansas City, Kansas, police detective, was found dead in his home on Monday (December 2), the day his federal civil rights trial was set to begin. The 71-year-old was facing charges for allegedly sexually abusing Black women over decades while serving in the police force.
Golubski's death was confirmed by the Department of Justice after he failed to appear at a federal courthouse in Topeka for the first day of jury selection. The manner of his death was not immediately disclosed, but sources close to the investigation reported it as a suicide.
Golubski was charged in 2022 with federal civil rights crimes, including accusations of exploiting Black women for sex and framing people for crimes they did not commit. He had pleaded not guilty to six counts of deprivation of civil rights. The charges were related to the alleged rape of two women between 1998 and 2002 during his employment with the Kansas City Police Department. He was also accused of running a sex trafficking ring from 1996 to 1998.
Golubski had been on house arrest as he was receiving regular dialysis treatments. If convicted, he faced a potential life sentence. His attorney, Christopher Joseph, had previously told a judge that Golubski had been "despondent" over the media attention on his case.