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An inmate at the Utah State Prison was found unresponsive in his cell late Wednesday, and corrections officers suspect homicide.
The Department of Corrections said the prisoner, 33-year-old James C. Corbett, was scheduled to be released from prison on Sept. 9. He was serving a sentence for two counts of attempted sexual abuse of a child.
Corbett had some "obvious trauma" that appeared to come from an assault, Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell said Thursday. He said the victim's cellmate, whose name has not been released, is a suspect.
An autopsy was being conducted Thursday to determine the exact cause of death, Bell said.
Officers found Corbett laying on his cell floor at the prison's Olympus facility in Draper at approximately 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, a corrections department news release says.
The officers removed the cellmate and started CPR, the release says. Corbett was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
The Olympus facility is designated for inmates with mental health issues, according to the DOC website.
Corbett — who was listed as homeless in 3rd District Court records — pleaded guilty in April 2007 to two counts of attempted sexual abuse of a child. After a 90-day diagnostic evaluation, he was sentenced to consecutive terms of up to five years behind bars.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC