(KAIR)--Suicide is cited as the cause of death of a Lansing Correctional Facility inmate who died Tuesday.
That’s according to a release from Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson, who says 43-year-old Ricardo Carlos Ramirez was facing first degree murder charges for the beating death of his cellmate. 56-year-old Fred Patterson III, who was killed August 7. According to Thompson, he had refused to loan Ramirez a pen for a word search puzzle, leading to the murder.
Patterson was in custody for a parole violation, having been previously convicted of indecent liberties with a minor.
Because of Ramirez’s death, Thompson said the murder case must be closed.
Ramirez was in custody for a parole violation with prior convictions for aggravated sexual battery and battery on city or county employees.
A release from the Kansas Department of Corrections says Ramirez was found unresponsive in his cell, early Tuesday morning, with prison staff immediately beginning life-saving measures, which continued once EMS arrived.
Despite the effort, Ramirez was pronounced dead at the scene.
The official cause of his death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.
The death investigation is continuing, overseen by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
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