Inmate dies in Adams County jail

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 01:30 p.m., May 12, 2008
Updated 01:30 p.m., May 12, 2008

A 56-year-old inmate was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon after Adams County jail officers found him unconscious in his cell, one day after he'd been put there on a cocaine charge.

Jail officials tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the cell.

Adams County Sheriff Douglas Darr said the man was in the cell by himself and there doesn't seem to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

The man, who lived in unincorporated Adams County, was being held for an outstanding warrant for illegally selling, manufacturing or possessing cocaine, and for false reporting charges.

Sheriff's deputies are investigating, and the Adams County Coroner will determine the cause of death.

scanlon@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2897

• May 12, 2008

  3:12 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  KittyWithKlaws writes:

  Keep an eye on this story. There's more going on here
  then just a dead skel. I smell a rat!

• May 12, 2008

  3:47 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Seabreezes writes:

  If the law enforcement agencies wish to avoid calls of "cover up", might I suggest having an outside county do the autopsy? I'm not questioning the skill of the Adams M.E., but he has the same boss the sheriff does, so.....

• May 12, 2008

  4:38 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Scott writes:

  Seabreezes,
  I do not understand your comment "...but he [M.E.] has the same boss the sheriff does ..." Both the M.E. and the sheriff are elected by the Adams County voters, hence my confusion with your comment. Are you under the belief that they both report to the County Commissioners?

  Scott

• May 12, 2008

  4:52 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  holekeeper writes:

  Scott,
  Thank you I was about to post the same thing....great minds think alike. And why worry about a cover up. Some people die. The police dont kill everyone they come in contact with. Mabey he ast some drugs when he got arrested and that killed him...happens you know

• May 12, 2008

  4:54 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Seabreezes writes:

  Actually, Scott....yeah. Didn't know M.E.'s here are elected. I still stand by the rest of my comment, though. If an autopsy on an Adams prisoner is done by, say, the Arapahoe M.E., then that should quell any calls of collusion.

• May 12, 2008

  5:01 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  holekeeper writes:

  seabreeze,
  Just because this gut died in jail dosent mean he was murdured. Its a stupis assumption. The guy was 56 and a drug dealer/ mabey addict. His heart could have been weak. Why should the county pay another county to do what they can do. you all seem to think that the cops wanted him dead. When they are in jail the county gets money to house him, if he is dead they dont get paid. the RMN didnt post anything to lead to police coverup how do you come to that conclusion?

• May 12, 2008

  5:09 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Seabreezes writes:

  I'm not making assumptions on the death. As you said, older man, coke in the system, doesn't take much for me to guess. But I read these posts enough every day to know that there are plenty of people who will assume, then spout off about cops. Figured I'd head it off, just didn't quiiiite get it right. Dang, I hate being wrong (but I'm used to it...).

• May 12, 2008

  5:10 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  holekeeper writes:

  allright seabreeze Im sorry i mis understood where you were going with your post. I guess I also made an assumption and I should practice what I preach.

• May 12, 2008

  5:14 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Seabreezes writes:

  No worries, holekeeper....happens to us all, sooner or later.

• May 12, 2008

  5:52 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  PonchoVia writes:

  Awwww, group hug!

• May 12, 2008

  10:35 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  MattGuyver_007 writes:

  If it was my dad, brother, son, etc I'd want a second opinion... and, for the record, I wouldn't expect the state to pay for it.