63-year-old Richard Holt Dies while a Prisoner at Oklahoma County Jail, Oklahoma
A 63-year-old prisoner, Richard Paul Holt, at Oklahoma County Jail in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, died early Sunday, April 15, hours after being transferred to St. Anthony Hospital for treatment. According to officials, Holt was being monitored for a medical condition involving sores on his body. He had been in the jail since March 20. On Saturday at the jail, his condition worsened. The custodial death is under investigation, which is standard procedure.
A spokesperson with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office spoke about the fatality and pointed out that the prisoner is only the second from Oklahoma County Jail to die this year. The comment is considered a reference to last year’s high rate of custodial deaths, which increased public criticisms of jail operations.
In addition to the two 2018 deaths at Oklahoma County Jail, there have been other custodial deaths in the state this year, including at:
- Muskogee County Jail in Muskogee
- Seminole County Jail in Wewoka
- Cleveland County Jail in Norman
In each of the three above-mentioned incidents, the prisoner died within hours of being incarcerated.
Brandy Edwardson, age 23, was discovered unresponsive in her cell at Muskogee County Jail. She was taken to a hospital nearby, where she died on Saturday, March 24.
Wesley Wayne Pebworth, age 31, was found deceased in his jail cell at Seminole County Jail on March 20. He was alone in the cell and had been booked hours earlier.
Marconia Kessee, age 34, was found unresponsive in his jail cell at Cleveland County Jail hours after being arrested. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died January 16.
Any time a custodial death occurs, an investigation is done, to determine whether minimum jail standards of procedure were met during the time the fatality occurred.
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