The man accused of attempting to sell a stolen document to Bailey-Howe was found dead in his Main Street apartment Feb. 11.

Fifty-five year-old Patrick Rooney’s  death is being considered a suicide. An autopsy has been ordered, according to Colchester police.

Rooney failed to appear in Vermont Superior Court for his most recent arraignment Feb. 11 on criminal charges that he stole a historic document dated to 1971.

Family members became concerned about Rooney’s well being, and Colchester police responded to his residence for a welfare check, police said.

Rooney was accused of stealing a document from “The Proprietors Volume” from Fletcher Free Library, and for attempting to sell it to Bailey-Howe Library, according to a Cynic article published Jan. 28.

The document’s value has been estimated at $500, and was offered for sale at $175, according to the article.