Cumberland County Jail reports 2nd inmate death in a month
Apr. 10—An inmate at the Cumberland County Jail died Wednesday after being found unresponsive in their cell, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said. It's the second death at the Portland jail in less than a month.
A correctional officer found the unresponsive person during routine rounds and called for assistance, the sheriff's office said in a statement. The jail's medical staff was unable to revive the person.
The sheriff's office said it will not release the person's name until the family is notified. The death is under investigation by Portland police, the Department of Corrections and the state medical examiner's office.
Lindsey Chasteen, spokesperson for the medical examiner's office, said the autopsy has been conducted but she could not provide additional information because of the pending investigation.
On March 22, Darren Laney Jr., 37, was found unresponsive in his cell during rounds. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Laney had been in custody since March 2022, after police said he stabbed his father, Darren Laney Sr., to death with a pair of scissors.
Officials are still investigating Laney's death. A spokesperson for the medical examiner's office told the Press Herald in March that an autopsy had been completed and the cause and manner of death were pending further studies.
Chasteen said Wednesday that it is standard to run toxicology tests on anyone who died in police custody. It can take six to eight weeks to get results.
