Maury Correctional Offender Dies after Testing Positive for COVID-19

RALEIGH - A Maury Correctional offender with pre-existing medical conditions, who tested positive for COVID-19, has died at a hospital.

The offender tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 15 and was hospitalized on Jan. 24. His condition worsened, and he died on Jan. 26, 2022. He had declined to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

“We are working hard in our ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our prisons. The health and safety of the staff and the offenders is our top priority,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “We strongly encourage all offenders to elect to be vaccinated and boosted. It’s very important.”

The offender was a male in his late-70s. Given his family’s right to privacy and the confidentiality of prison offender records, the Department of Public Safety will not further identify the individual.

Initial review indicates that COVID-19 was likely the cause or at least a contributing factor to his death. Final determination of cause of death will be made following review by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Prisons leadership has taken more than four dozen actions throughout the North Carolina prison system to try to prevent transmission of the virus. They are found here: https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/adult-correction/prisons/prisons-info-covid-19