Chelan County inmate found dead in cell

A 53-year-old man incarcerated at the Chelan County Regional Justice Center was found dead Sunday morning when correctional deputies found him unresponsive in his cell.

The county did not identify the man, with the release pending notification of the deceased's family, according to a Chelan County news release.

Correctional deputies found the man unresponsive when preparing to serve breakfast at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday. He was declared dead about 16 minutes later.

An autopsy is scheduled this week to determine the cause of death.

This is the first inmate under Chelan County supervision to die since 2021 when two other individuals died that year. In both these cases, the county settled in court over two wrongful death lawsuits filed by the families, one for $3.25 million and the other for $2.5 million.

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