The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has announced that it is conducting an investigation into the death of an inmate at the Allen County Jail. According to KBI Communications Director Melissa Underwood, the Allen County Sheriff’s Office contacted the KBI to investigate, as is required by state statute.
On June 24, corrections personnel at the jail found inmate Phil Churning, 38, unresponsive in his cell. He was the only inmate in the cell and was pronounced deceased from apparent self-inflicted injuries.
The KBI investigates all deaths of individuals in the custody of a Kansas jail or prison, unless the inmate was being regularly attended by a physician, or the cause of death is determined to be natural by a qualified autopsy, preliminary autopsy report, or death certificate.
An autopsy has been conducted and the investigation is ongoing. Underwood noted that a final autopsy report typically takes anywhere from six to 12 weeks to complete.
