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Autopsy reveals heart attack killed inmate
By Lynn Hotaling
An inmate held at the Jackson County Detention Center died Monday night (March 21) as the result of a heart attack, Sheriff Jimmy Ashe said Tuesday.
Richard Dale Wood, 39, of Dillsboro, was pronounced dead at Harris Regional Hospital around 10:30 p.m., Ashe said.
Wood, who was jailed March 1 for failure to pay child support, was on work release and had worked all day Monday, Ashe said.
He returned to the Detention Center around 7 p.m. with no complaints, Ashe said.
After showering, Wood told the other occupants of the work release pod (area of the jail) that he didn’t feel well, Ashe said.
Wood then collapsed and his fellow inmates assisted him and called for help, Ashe said.
Detention officers used a defibrillator in an effort to save Wood, Ashe said, indicating emergency medical personnel arrived while the defibrillator was in use.
A Tuesday autopsy by Harris Regional’s Dr. Sam Davis revealed that Wood had a blocked artery and died of a heart attack, Ashe said, adding that Wood never complained of chest pains.
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