MONCKS CORNER, S.C. — An inmate at McDougall Correctional Institution has died after being found unresponsive in his cell, according to the Berkeley County Coroner’s Office.
Coroner Darnell Hartwell said the agency was notified at approximately 3:40 p.m. on June 11 regarding an inmate medical emergency at the state prison facility.
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According to officials, correctional officers discovered the inmate unresponsive inside his cell and immediately began emergency response efforts. Staff members and first responders attempted life-saving measures, but the inmate was later pronounced dead at the institution.
The deceased was identified as Christopher Saunders, 48.
At this time, authorities say the death is not being investigated as either a homicide or a suicide.
An autopsy has been scheduled to help determine the official cause and manner of death.
McDougall Correctional Institution is a state-operated prison located in Berkeley County and is managed by the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
The Berkeley County Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Department of Corrections are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death pending autopsy results.
