My point is that this wasn't a common defendant and I can't recall this ever happening with a...

similar defendant of this profile who was a suicide risk, and there are several famous examples. Comparing the situation to one with an ordinary defendant isn't a good comparison, given the stakes here. Given that prison officials can make decisions about whom to release, color me skeptical that they would have no power to exert in a case like this, leaving it to a doctor, particularly with pressure from above.