State Police Open Probe Into Death Of Clark County Inmate
Eric Blanton, 41, was found unresponsive at the jail in Saturday; preliminary autopsy indicates suicide.
By John Wilson ·
Indiana State Police are investigating the death of a man held in the Clark County jail.
The investigation began after staff found Eric B. Blanton, 41, unresponsive in his cell on Saturday. Other inmates alerted jail personnel, who attempted to save him using CPR. The Clark County coroner pronounced Blanton dead at the facility. The sheriff’s office requested state help just after 5 p.m. on the same day.
Daily records from the sheriff’s office indicate Blanton had been in custody since late May. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Monday afternoon that the investigation is active. An autopsy performed by the coroner’s office on Sunday produced preliminary results showing Blanton died by suicide. Police stated that foul play is not suspected, though final autopsy results remain pending.
Det. Mackenzie Benham of the ISP Sellersburg Post is leading the case. The agency plans to review surveillance footage and conduct follow-up interviews as part of its review. It was not immediately clear if any other inmates died at the jail this year.
Source: WFPL
