Prosecutors say Lansing inmate died of accidental overdose, charges won’t be filed
An inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility who died in April was killed by an accidental overdose, according to a document from prosecutors, and charges will not be filed in his death.
The death of 28-year-old Casey Wallace was under investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigations after his cellmates found him unresponsive in his bunk on April 1.
According to the the Leavenworth County Prosecutor’s Office, Wallace went to bed early that evening after a fairly routine day. His cellmate noticed he was asleep and breathing around 6 or 7 p.m. and left to go to the day room until lock down at 8:30 p.m.
After lock down, a cellmate began to wonder if Wallace was alright after he could not hear him snoring. He reached out to touch Wallace, who he said felt cold.
His cellmates noticed an open tea bag lying next to his bunk, prosecutors said.
During an investigation, residue consistent with mixing K2 and tea leaves was found in the cell, along with rolled paper containing an unknown substance under another inmate’s bunk.
The autopsy found no physical trauma other than that associated with CPR and showed that Wallace suffered a pulmonary and cerebral edema. The coroner said the case was a presumptive positive for fentanyl, though it was possible the drug was administered during medical treatment, the document indicated.
Wallace’s condition was consistent with the use of opiates, and toxicology tests for synthetic cannaboids were negative, autopsy notes showed. A coroner ruled the death accidental due to fentanyl toxicity.
Investigators said they could not determine how Wallace had obtained the substance.
Since it was ruled an accidental overdose and they haven’t been able to determine how the drugs were obtained, Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said his office won’t file charges in Wallace’s death.
“We have been seeing far too many overdoses and deaths due to fentanyl in this community and nationally,” Thompson said in an email. “It’s a scary threat to our public, and now it’s made its way into our prisons.”
Wallace was incarcerated for distribution of marijuana and firearm charges.