SACRAMENTO, CALIF. ? A Ukrainian immigrant accused of butchering six family members hanged himself in his jail cell Wednesday, the sheriff said.

But Nikolay Soltys’ attorney, Tommy Clinkenbeard, said he was not convinced the man took his own life, and the sheriff ordered a more extensive investigation.

Soltys, 27, had been undergoing mental evaluations after allegedly using a knife to kill his pregnant wife, 3-year-old son and four other relatives in August. He was under 24-hour camera surveillance after what jail officials called two suspected suicide attempts.

Soltys used a rope braided out of cloth and a plastic bag, Sheriff Lou Blanas said.

The rope was attached to a light fixture 5 feet off the ground. The sheriff said the 6-foot Soltys apparently leaned against the rope until he lost consciousness.

Blanas said that he was “satisfied this is a suicide. Nobody went in his cell, nobody put him up there. His hands weren’t tied.”

The sheriff said an autopsy would be performed, and the death would be investigated by homicide investigators and the District Attorney’s Office.