Anchorage

Palmer woman found dead in Anchorage jail cell

An inmate at the Anchorage Correctional Complex was found dead early Wednesday morning.

Laurel Hunter, 48, of Palmer was found unresponsive and alone in her cell during a security check at about 2:27 a.m. Wednesday, the Alaska Department of Corrections said in a statement.

CPR was performed on Hunter before she was transported to Alaska Regional Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at about 3:10 a.m.

[Under publicity's glare, Alaska Corrections Department shifts policies on halfway houses]

According to the DOC statement, Hunter notified medical officials of an acute medical condition within 24 hours after she was booked and that she "received treatment at the time of her death."

DOC spokesman Corey Allen-Young declined to identify Hunter's medical condition, citing patient confidentiality laws.

No foul play was immediately suspected, according to an Alaska State Troopers dispatch. The state medical examiner will conduct an autopsy.

ADVERTISEMENT

[Wrongful death suits pile up against Alaska prison system]

According to online records, Hunter was booked at the Anchorage Correctional Complex Monday for an "operating under the influence" charge.

The DOC has notified Hunter's next of kin.

Suzanna Caldwell

Suzanna Caldwell is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in 2017.

ADVERTISEMENT