KOKOMO, Ind — A 51-year-old inmate who was found unresponsive in the Howard County Jail died from natural causes, according to the Howard County coroner.
On Oct. 28, Howard County corrections officers found 51-year-old Rick Bartel, of Peru, Indiana, unconscious and unresponsive in his jail cell around 11:30 a.m.
Authorities said corrections and medical staff aided Bartel until paramedics arrived. He was taken to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Kokomo, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy conducted the following Monday morning found no indication of foul play, according to the Howard County Coroner's Office.
According to Coroner Dr. Steven J. Seele, Bartel died as the result of bilateral pulmonary emboli due to deep vein thrombosis.