Man, accused of fondling, found hanged at Mayer home

By Jim Schultz
Thursday, October 4, 2007

Redding, CA
LEFT BEHIND: Redding police Detective Bill Schueller pets a dog at the La Rinconada Place home of former Redding Bank ofCommerce CEO Michael Mayer on Wednesday after Schueller and others investigated an apparent suicide there. The dog was later taken to the home of a friend of Mayer’s for safekeeping, Schueller said.

LEFT BEHIND: Redding police Detective Bill Schueller pets a dog at the La Rinconada Place home of former Redding Bank ofCommerce CEO Michael Mayer on Wednesday after Schueller and others investigated an apparent suicide there. The dog was later taken to the home of a friend of Mayer’s for safekeeping, Schueller said. View gallery »

A middle-aged man was found hanging Wednesday from a rope attached to an oak tree in the backyard of the upscale home of former Redding Bank of Commerce CEO Michael Mayer.

But Redding police would not confirm that the victim was the 51-year-old former bank executive charged with molesting a 16-year-old girl in August.

The man's identity won't be released until relatives are notified, said Redding police Capt. Peter Hansen.

No one else was home at the time of the apparent suicide, Hansen said.

Flanked by newspaper, radio and television reporters, Hansen said police went to Mayer's La Rinconada Place home about 4:30 p.m. after a neighbor reported seeing someone hanging from the tree inside the wrought-iron fence enclosing the backyard.

Speaking from Mayer's manicured front yard, Hansen said it appeared that the man's death was a suicide. He declined to say if a suicide note had been left and said that the case has been turned over to the Shasta County coroner's office.

Most of those who live on the street in Mayer's quiet and heavily treed neighborhood stayed indoors as police investigated the hanging, and those who did briefly venture outside politely declined to talk to reporters.

Mayer was arrested Aug. 19 after a 16-year-old family friend told police that Mayer had sexually assaulted her at the house where the body was found Wednesday.

Eight days later, Redding Bank of Commerce fired him from its top job, which last year paid him $455,000 in salary, benefits and other compensation.

When he was arrested, police reported that the 16-year-old girl had told them that Mayer massaged her shoulders and back in a darkened family room where Mayer's daughter and niece were lying on the floor watching television.

She also told police she was "not sure what to do" when the massage allegedly went too far and Mayer fondled her breasts and groin, the police report said.

Mayer's wife told police that her husband, who had been drinking heavily that day, "lost it" after being confronted by the alleged molestation, and that he had threatened to kill himself, the report said.

Charged with two counts of felony sexual penetration and misdemeanor counts of annoying a child, sexual battery and indecent exposure, Mayer was released from jail on $100,000 bail.

The court also ordered him not to drink or to have firearms, and to stay away from female minors unless a responsible adult was present.

Mayer's last Superior Court appearance was on Sept. 17 when Judge William Gallagher agreed to hear the case after two other judges recused themselves.

Reporter Jim Schultz can be reached at 225-8223 or at jschultz@redding.com.