facebook-pixel

Utah inmate found dead at Gunnison prison

His death remains under investigation.

(Utah Department of Corrections) A prisoner was found dead at the state prison in Gunnison on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.

(Utah Department of Corrections) A prisoner was found dead at the state prison in Gunnison on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.

Officials are investigating the Sunday death of a prisoner at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.

Steven Davis, 66, was found “unresponsive” in his cell at the Gunnison prison, according to a news release from the Utah Department of Corrections. He was declared dead a short time later.

How he died has not been determined, according to officials, who did not say if foul play is suspected. The prison — which houses about 1,760 inmates — was placed on lockdown Sunday as an investigation into the prisoner’s death began.

Davis had been in prison since December 1983 after he was convicted of first degree sodomy of a child and parole violations, records show.

He was the second inmate to die at the Gunnison prison this month. On Sept. 2, a prisoner was pronounced dead after his cellmate reported that he was not moving.

Last month, a fight at the prison involving 15 prisoners on Aug. 21 sent five people to a hospital and prompted a lockdown at both the Gunnison facility, as well as the state prison in Salt Lake City.

Support free news for Utah

sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.

Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.

You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.