RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond Police, the Office of the Medical Examiner and officials with the Richmond City Justice Center are conducting a joint investigation into the deaths of three inmates of the jail, all occurring in the past 72 hours.
Officials tell us that while there is no evidence of foul play, they are working to determine the exact cause and manner of each death.
8News spoke with the father of one of the inmates who passed, 22-year-old Shawn Samuel, who was found unresponsive in his cell late Tuesday night sitting in his bunk with ear buds in. Samuel, who has a three-year-old girl, according to his father, was expected to be released within the next year.
Samuel’s fiancé was the last person he spoke with before his death. Shawn Samuel Sr. said his son had no known health problems and described him as a young man who made some bad decisions but had a bright future.
Samuel’s family is now demanding answers.
According to his grandmother, 28-year old Zachary Tuggle died from a seizure at the jail on Monday.
The name of the third inmate who died at the facility has not been released.
