Watertown, NY -- A man committed suicide by popping a pill in the Watertown courthouse after a jury convicted him of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl, his lawyer said.

Jon K. Massey, 52, of Watertown, had just been found guilty Feb. 28 of four sex-related felonies and could have faced more than 50 years in prison, his lawyer, Salvatore Piemonte, said today.

Piemonte, of Camillus, said he had turned his attention to hear the jury's verdict when his client apparently swallowed the pill. The jury had already found Massey guilty, but Piemonte asked the judge to "poll" the jury, or ask each of the jurors individually of their decision.

As that was going on, Massey apparently swallowed the pill, Piemonte said.

Nothing seemed immediately wrong.

Piemonte stayed with his client for about five minutes as the courtroom cleared out.

"I asked him if he had anything he shouldn't have," Piemonte recalled. "He asked for cash for the commissary." The lawyer also asked the judge about getting Massey some medication he needed.

Then Massey was taken into custody and Piemonte left for his motel.

But while leaving the courtroom, Massey collapsed. He was passing through a secure doorway, called a sally port, Piemonte heard later.

A North Country news reporter called Piemonte with the news. Authorities estimated Massey collapsed about a half-hour after the verdict.

Massey told deputies he had taken a cyanide pill before he fell into a coma.

Two days later, Massey died at a Watertown hospital, Piemonte said. It was not clear exactly what was in the seemingly homemade pill.

Massey had been convicted of two counts each of first-degree criminal sexual act and second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child.