YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The capital murder case of Robert Seman has come to a shocking end with the 48-year-old taking his own life.

Seman jumped from the fourth-floor balcony of the courthouse to his death at about 9:40 a.m. this morning.

This all happened just one week before jury selection was set to begin in his triple murder trial.

The halls of justice in Mahoning County were roped off as a crime scene as Seman's body lay in the middle of the rotunda on the courthouse floor.

Vindicator reporter Joe Gorman tells 21 News, "I've been doing this for over 20 years and I've seen a lot of stuff, I've never seen anything like that."

Video released by Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene captures the final seconds of defendant Seman's life.

He leaves Judge Maureen Sweeney's courtroom after a status conference.  

Prosecutor Dawn Cantalamessa says she didn't even realize that Seman would be present at the hearing.

At the order of the court you see Seman walk out into the hallway dressed in civilian clothing, no handcuffs, wearing only a leg restraint on one leg and escorted by two deputies.  One deputy in front of him and another walking behind him.

But in a split second Seman made his move and jumped over the fourth-floor balcony falling to his death.

Both deputies can be seen immediately running over to the railing.

A witness said you could hear one of the deputies yell "don't."

Gorman witnessed the commotion, saying people were screaming and crying.  "I heard somebody shout.  I looked across from me and I saw a deputy on the railing on the fourth floor and a big white object fall through the air, and then I screamed because it was freaky," Gorman said.

Seman's Attorney Tom Zena rushed to the first floor rotunda of the courthouse to see if there were any signs of life.

"I got down there right after and I tried to take a pulse and there was a little faint one, then it faded out," Zena said.

Seman, who was facing the death penalty if convicted of killing 10-year-old Corinne Gump and her grandparents Bill and Judy Schmidt in a house fire two years ago, was expected to be transported to Portage County today where his trial would begin next week.  But his attorney says he was not suicidal.

"Never.  No.  He worked on his case with us.  He was very responsive.  Judge Sweeney asked him everyday are you okay?  What's going on?  She kept reviewing his jail records to make sure he was getting everything he needed.  No indication of this at all," Zena said.

Prosecutor Dawn Cantalamessa feels Seman's final act speaks for itself.  "I think it's very telling.  I think it's very telling.  He knew the evidence against him.  Every witness we talked to in preparation for the case.  They didn't know why he was not pleading guilty or not asking for some kind of plea, so this is very telling to anyone out there," Cantalamessa said.

Sheriff Jerry Greene tells 21 News there was no suicide note found on Seman or in his cell.  

The sheriff also said he is standing by his deputies who were escorting Seman in this case.  They are not on paid administrative leave because he believes after viewing the courthouse tapes they were doing what they were supposed to be doing.

As for if there will be any procedural changes in light of what's happened, that's a decision that will be up to the courts.