Indiana State Police are investigating the death of an inmate at the Bartholomew County Jail.
The investigation began shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday when a male inmate was found unresponsive in the jail, said Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, Indiana State Police spokesman.
The inmate was provided with medical care and transported to Columbus Regional Hospital where he was then pronounced deceased, Wheeles said.
The inmate was identified as Gregory A. Leonard, 47, Columbus, Wheeles said. Leonard’s family has been notified.
Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting said an autopsy was performed Tuesday and the results of that autopsy are pending, as are toxicology results. The toxicology results could take two to three weeks, he said.
Leonard did have several pre-existing medical conditions which are part of the coroner’s investigation, Nolting said.
Court records indicate Leonard was serving a sentence for a Level 6 felony conviction involving theft after he pleaded guilty in Bartholomew County as part of a plea bargain. His criminal record has notations of charges involving possession of a syringe and possession of methamphetamine, according to past criminal case records.
Although the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is not commenting about the case, Sheriff Matt Myers posted on social media that a “shakedown” of cells in the jail was conducted Monday searching for contraband and removing it for the safety of staff and inmates.
Detectives from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post were requested to lead the investigation which is normal practice when a death occurs inside a correctional facility.
