A 35-year-old man was pronounced dead Friday morning after correctional staff found him unresponsive in his bed inside dormitory housing in the residential treatment unit at Cook County Jail, officials said.
Melvin Turner of Carol Stream was pronounced dead at 9:19. a.m. at the jail, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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A Cook County Sheriff’s spokesman said in a news release, shortly before 9 a.m. Friday, staff found Turner in his bed in the RTU unit at the jail and called 911 and the Cermak Health Services staff who began life saving measures until Chicago Fire Department paramedics arrived.
Turner was pronounced dead at the scene.
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At this time, foul play does not appear to be a factor in his death, the release said.
The release also said Turner was placed on electronic monitoring in February after charges of retail theft but was re-incarcerated at Cook County Jail late Thursday night after his housing site refused him when has discharged from Jackson Park Hospital.
Once discharged from Jackson Park, the Cook County Sheriff’s Electronic Monitoring Unit investigators took him to Cook County Jail where he was evaluated by Cermak Health Services staff before he was placed in the RTU unit, the release said.
Turner’s cause of death was pending an autopsy at the medical examiner’s office.
The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force and the Cook County Sheriff’s office was investigating.
