TDCJ REPORTING COVID-19 LIKELY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN DEATH OF PACK UNIT INMATE
Officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) say a recent inmate death at the Pack Unit in Navasota was likely caused in part by COVID-19.
71-year-old Daniel Thompson, who had served 24 years of a 50-year sentence out of Harris County, died May 5th at Hospital Galveston after being transported there from the Pack Unit April 30th.
According to the TDCJ, preliminary autopsy results suggest COVID-19 contributed to Thompson’s death. Authorities said Thompson suffered from several pre-existing medical conditions.
The first case of COVID-19 at the facility was 62-year-old Leonard Clerkly, who died in April from what TDCJ officials said was pneumonia complicated by COVID-19.
Saturday, the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed the 64th and 65th cases of COVID-19 in Grimes County, both in TDCJ male offenders. According to Grimes County officials, one of the patients is not hospitalized, while the other’s hospitalization status is unknown.
The TDCJ website reports 32 positive cases at the Pack Unit, and none at the Luther Unit, also in Grimes County. Seven Pack Unit employees, according to the website, have tested positive.