Inmate Dies in LaPlata County Jail

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM

Due to the inmate not listing any next of kin, the Sheriff’s Office and Coroner are having difficulty in locating and notifying family members. The Sheriff’s Office will only say he is a 67 year old white male. The man took part in roll call Sunday morning and was given his breakfast tray. He was not ready to turn in his tray during collection. When Deputies returned about 10 minutes later to get his tray, they looked inside and saw the man was unresponsive. They immediately began life saving efforts. When Paramedics arrived, they continued life saving efforts. The man was transp

From the LaPlata Co. Sheriff's office:

La Plata County Sheriff’s Office asked Durango Police Department to assist in an investigation of the death of a La Plata County Sheriff’s Office Detentions inmate on Sunday.

The inmate who was serving a court ordered sentence had been in the jail for about 11 months.

The La Plata County Coroner’s Office has scheduled an autopsy to be performed Tuesday. When toxicology results are done a cause of death will determined. The man was locked, alone, in a single cell at the time of the incident. No foul play is suspected.

The man took part in roll call Sunday morning and was given his breakfast tray. He was not ready to turn in his tray during collection. When Deputies returned about 10 minutes later to get his tray, they looked inside and saw the man was unresponsive. They immediately began life saving efforts. When Paramedics arrived, they continued life saving efforts. The man was transported to Mercy Hospital in Durango where he died.

Following standard protocols, the Sheriff’s Office is conducting an internal investigation in addition to the independent investigation by Durango Police Department.

The man’s identity will be released once family is notified.

More from Local News

New Farmington Temple Prepares for Public Open House

The public is invited to tour the Farmington Temple from Thursday, July 17, through Saturday, August 2, 2025, excluding Sundays.
SJRMC & San Juan College agree to expand Nursing Program

Full-time nursing faculty members will receive a $10,000 annual stipend on top of their base salary to enhance the program’s capacity. In addition, students will have an opportunity to enter into an agreement with SJRMC to receive a substantial $4,800 living stipend per semester,
Downtown Farmington gets National Main Street Accreditation

Historic Downtown Farmington’s performance was evaluated through assessments conducted by the organization’s personnel and board of directors, and New Mexico MainStreet, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards.
Man Arrested for Fruitland Murder

Following verbal arguments at the house of Adrian Begay (age 45), De Andre Julian (age 23) left with his girlfriend, Adrian Begay’s daughter, Adriana Begay (age 21) to a nearby residence. Adrian Begay followed them to the exterior of the residence when De Andre Julian produced a handgun and shot Adrian Begay multiple times in the chest at close range.
Arrest Made in Farmington Killing

After a lengthy investigation, Ms. Greenfield’s death was determined to be a homicide and detectives identified 27-year-old Serrono Rippingale as the suspect. On June 26th, 2025, an arrest warrant for Murder (2nd degree felony) and Tampering with Evidence (3rd degree felony) was obtained and served on Serrono Rippingale.
Farmington Hires New Museum Director

“Nathan’s expertise in the museum industry, combined with his global perspective and passion for community engagement, make him a tremendous asset to Farmington,” said Christa Chapman, Director of Cultural Affairs. “We’re excited to see how his leadership will shape the future of the Farmington Museum System.”