Deaths In Custody

The Montana Department of Corrections provides public information regarding the death of inmates in its custody pursuant to the Public Records Act, Mont. Code Ann. § 2-6-1001, et seq.
 
Under Montana law (Title 46, Ch. 4, Pts. 1, 2, MCA), the cause, manner and circumstances of the death of a person who dies while incarcerated in a prison or confined to a correctional facility operated by the state shall be inquired into and determined by a county coroner. Those findings are provided by the coroner to the county attorney in the county of jurisdiction, who may request an inquest into the causes of and circumstances surrounding the death (Title 46, Ch.4, Pts. 2a, MCA). The coroner’s official statement of the cause of death is stated in a death certificate, which are public records. (Title 46-4-110, MCA; 37.8.801, ARM) 
Deaths In Custody by Year
Inmate Deaths 2025
Date of Death Inmate Name DOC ID Number Location
1/29/25 Killsnight, Clay C. 2157944 Montana State Prison
2/16/25 Lance, John F. 15898 Riverside Special Needs Unit
5/9/25 Collins, Robin R. 3030944 Memphis, TN
5/30/25 Ball, James E. 15309 Montana State Prison
 
2024
Inmate Deaths 2024
Date of Death Inmate Name DOC ID Number Location
2/1/24 Kraha, Christian 3019698 Montana State Prison
2/12/24 Fitzpatrick, Bernard. J 11794 Montana State Prison
2/29/24 Dowdle, Gary G 3021094 Riverside Special Needs Unit
5/28/24 Covert, Joseph W. 3005775 Montana State Prison
6/5/24 Copelton, John O. 2084140 St. Patrick Hospital
7/3/24 Mertins, Kevin M. 14498 Montana State Prison
8/29/24 Farrell, James C. 44933 Montana State Prison
9/3/24 Martin, James G. 44962 Benefis Healthcare
9/11/24 Hixon, Wayne A. 2109526 Crossroads Correctional Center
9/16/24 Mann, Robert 3019914 Billings Clinic
10/30/24 Rose, Robert L. 38060 Montana State Prison
12/3/24 Davis, Douglas R. 38138 Riverside Special Needs Unit
12/8/24 Miller, Chad A. 35158 Montana State Prison
 
2023
Inmate Deaths 2023
Date of Death Inmate Name DOC ID Number Location
1/29/23 Fisher, Todd C. 3025847 Montana State Prison
2/18/23 Burland, Zeke 3032751 Montana State Prison
2/23/23 Rodriquez, Thomas L. 3007859 St. Patrick Hospital
3/21/23 Veilleux, John H. 2123524 St. Patrick Hospital
3/30/23 Mikesell, Louis W. 3026790 Riverside Special Needs Unit
4/23/23 Croft, Lewis 3023740 St. Peter’s Hospital
7/15/23 Gazda, John L. 2043618 Riverside Special Needs Unit
8/18/23 Wilcox, Ronald A. 3033741 Riverside Special Needs Unit
8/20/23 Warclub, Warren J. 2045472 Montana State Prison
10/3/23 Cline, William S. 17560 Community Medical Center
10/19/23 Insua, Albert E. 47257 Montana State Prison
10/31/23 Mulligan, John A. 3004765 Montana State Prison
12/12/23 Lynch, Patrick R. 303106 Montana State Prison
12/26/23 Thee, Douglas F. 42766 Montana State Prison
 
2022
Inmate Deaths 2022
Date of Death Inmate Name DOC ID Number Location
3/16/22 Furlong, Christopher R. 18145 Montana State Prison
5/1/22 Roedel, Lawrence F. 2110712 Montana State Prison
5/16/22 Donahue, Robert R 3031765 Riverside Special Needs Unit
6/5/22 Shurtliff, John A. 3024867 Deer Lodge Medical Center
6/12/22             Lee, Alvin C. 15621 Deer Lodge Medical Center
6/18/22 Lewis, Andrew 3023922 Deer Lodge Medical Center
6/26/22 Phelps, Seth M 3023864 Montana State Prison
7/2/22 Ferguson, Brandon 3011870 Montana State Prison
7/18/22 Brown, James D. 3032498 Montana State Prison
8/5/22 Stearns, Robert S. 41626 Riverside Special Needs Unit
9/1/22 Sklivas, Stephen A. 28550 Crossroads Correctional Center
9/5/22 Seabrook, Todd W. 3014157 Montana State Prison
11/13/22 Gillingham, Richard W 34701 Montana State Prison
11/14/22 Pearson, Jason 3028664 St. Patrick Hospital
12/31/22 Griffin, Richard L 3014199 St. Patrick Hospital
2021
Inmate Deaths 2021
Date of Death Inmate Name DOC ID Number Location
1/1/21 Hutzel, Michael 3027678 Kalispell Regional Medical Center
1/10/21 Troy Douglas 43531 Billings Clinic
1/30/21 Clark, Edward J. 3022280 Marias Medical Center
2/15/21 Lamb, Dewayne L. 3017376 Marias Medical Center
5/14/21 McClure, Michael P. 2111597 Montana State Prison
5/19/21 Koenen, Raymond J. 3022899 Crossroads Correctional Center 
5/23/21 Morrison, Shaun D. 46941 Benefis Healthcare System
6/8/21 Nester, Lisa A. 3011042 Billings Clinic
6/15/21 Frodsham, Carl E. 11801 Riverside Special Needs Unit
7/29/21 Jarvey, Jack E. 3026390 Riverside Special Needs Unit
8/6/21 Worden, Ricky E. 15094 Riverside Special Needs Unit
8/8/21 Hendzel, Frank R. 3004677 Riverside Special Needs Unit
8/11/21 Kimball, Thomas F. 3030266 Deer Lodge Medical Center
8/11/21 Welborn, Donald 3007483 Montana State Prison
8/11/21 Suthers, William H. 42052 Riverside Special Needs Unit
8/23/21 Beloate, Raymond W. 41955 Riverside Special Needs Unit
9/20/21 Bailey, Edward A. 2154781 Montana State Prison
9/28/21 Cramer, Jeremy B. 3013828 Montana State Prison
10/27/21 Bear, Jeri A. 3021704 Montana Women's Prison
11/26/21 George, Michael W. 3023456 St. James Healthcare
12/21/21 Owens, Vernie L. 13766 Riverside Special Needs Unit
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