KOKOMO — Foul play is not suspected in the death of an inmate last week at the Howard County Jail, the Howard County Coroner said Monday.
Rich A. Bartel, 51, of Peru died Friday after corrections officers found him unconscious and unresponsive in his cell, officials say. After an autopsy, the coroner's office said "no indication of foul play was found."
On Dec. 22, the coroner says Bartel's manner of death is natural causes and the result of bilateral pulmonary emboli due to deep vein thrombosis.
The Howard County Sheriff's Office has said that Bartel was found unresponsive about 11:30 a.m. Friday. He was taken to Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo, where he was pronounced dead about 1 p.m., according to the coroner.
Authorities have not provided additional information. The investigation is ongoing.
-
The City of Indianapolis' "Indy Peace Fellowship" 2025 review
WRTV spoke with Dane Nutty, President & CEO of the Indy Public Safety Foundation, about its efforts in 2025 and continued targets ahead for 2026.
ILEA approves final recommendations to shape the future of Indy public schools
A key component of the ILEA’s recommendations includes the creation of the “Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.”
Boone County weighs solar farm ordinance with strict guidelines
Boone County officials are seeking to pass an ordinance that would allow solar farms to be developed under strict guidelines.
Bears mull move to Indiana as efforts to secure public funds in Illinois stall
The Chicago Bears say they're mulling a move to Northwest Indiana with their efforts to secure public funding they say they need to build an enclosed stadium in Illinois stalled.
