Bureau of Corrections Director Julius Wilson on Sunday said the death of a detainee at the facility was that of an apparent suicide.
Wilson said Heather Dawn Turfley, 38, was found unresponsive in her single-cell unit midday Sunday during a routine inspection of the Criminal Justice Complex (CJC) on St. Thomas.
According to BOC officials, Turfley was awaiting trial on charges of making bomb threats in connection with a Sept. 14 arrest. In 2013, she was also held on robbery charges.
The cause of death will be confirmed by the medical examiner’s office after an autopsy is conducted on the victim in the coming days.
Wilson said an investigation is underway by the VIPD’s Major Crimes Unit, and that the BOC will conduct its own internal investigation of the incident, as well.
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