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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
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Detainee an Apparent Suicide Victim

A woman in custody awaiting trial was found dead in her cell Sunday at the Criminal Justice Complex on St. Thomas, an apparent suicide, according to the Bureau of Corrections.

In a news release issued Monday afternoon, Bureau of Corrections Director Julius Wilson confirmed the death of detainee Heather Dawn Turfley.

Wilson said Turfley was found unresponsive in her single-cell unit around midday Sunday during a routine inspection.

According to the BOC announcement, Turfley, 38, was awaiting trial on charges of making bomb threats in connection with a Sept. 14 arrest. Previously in 2013, she was detained robbery charges.

The cause of death will be confirmed by the medical examiner during an autopsy. Wilson said the Major Crime Unit of the V.I. Police Department and that the BOC will conduct its own internal investigation of the incident.

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