Fayette inmate dies; confusion over time of death
An inmate who hanged himself at Fayette County Prison has died, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The medical examiner’s office said Derek Andrew Thomas, 25, of Oliver was pronounced dead at 4:48 a.m. Thursday at UPMC-Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh — though prison Warden Brian Miller said on Saturday that Thomas was still alive.
The incident is under investigation, according to county officials.
Miller said a corrections officer discovered Thomas hanging in his cell around 6 p.m. Dec. 22. He was incarcerated on burglary charges, according to court documents. Thomas was initially taken to Uniontown Hospital and later transferred to UPMC-Presbyterian.
Miller said Saturday that when he left UPMC-Presbyterian hospital Friday evening, the man was still alive, but he was on life support and his condition was grave. On Saturday, Miller said he had not received confirmation from the Allegheny coroner’s office that Thomas had died.
Miller was unable to be reached Sunday evening for comment.
Fayette County Commissioner Vincent Zapotosky said Sunday that he did not have all the details regarding Thomas’ death but that there would be an investigation into the matter.
“I’m going to request a thorough review of what happened — this needs to be investigated,” he said.
Fayette County Commissioner Al Ambrosini said he was informed Sunday by the Herald-Standard of Thomas’ death. He said any information he would have received would have come from the warden.
“Anything that he (Miller) would have learned, he would have forwarded it through to me,” Ambrosini said.
Ambrosini said from the time the incident occurred, the commissioners have been reviewing the process by which the corrections officers go through their daily routine — making sure they did everything according to procedure. He said he’ll defer any questions about what happened until he gets more facts.
“We’re going to continue to follow up on that,” Ambrosini said. “There’ll be a complete review on the matter.”
As to the discrepancy between the medical examiner’s office and Miller as to when Thomas died, Ambrosini said he doesn’t think the hospital was providing the latest information to the warden.
Zapotosky declined comment on the discrepancy between the medical examiner’s office and Miller’s report Saturday as to when Thomas died.
Miller has requested an internal investigation by Uniontown Police and state police be conducted into the incident at the prison.
Miller said Saturday that Thomas was not on suicide watch when the incident occurred, and he tested negative for drug use when he entered the county facility on Dec. 20.
This is the second suicide at the prison within about four years.
Cade Stevens, 25, of Dawson, hanged himself in Fayette County Prison on Sept. 12, 2009.
There is a wrongful death lawsuit pending regarding the matter.
Stevens twice unsuccessfully tried to hang himself before completing the act the third time, a lawsuit filed on behalf of Stevens alleges. Stevens was brought to the prison after he was arrested for allegedly robbing men on a golf course.
The lawsuit claimed that the hanging attempts were all on closed-circuit televisions that were visible to guards, and that Stevens hanged for about 30 minutes before guards noticed what had happened.
Zapotosky said until he has a chance to review what happened with Thomas, he did not want to make any statement.
“I don’t want to draw comparisons, but until I speak with prison officials, I don’t want to offer any comment because I’m not sure what transpired,” he said.
Fayette County Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink was not able to be reached for comment for this report.