The Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) says three inmates held at southern Nevada prisons have died in recent weeks, adding to a grim run of mortality reports coming out of the desert lockups. Details so far are sparse, and officials say autopsies have been requested while coroners and investigators work to determine what happened in each case.
NDOC Notices and Local Reporting
Local television station KSNV reported that the department issued offender-death notices on March 9 that publicly identified the three men. According to KSNV, the notices included each inmate’s name, when and where they were pronounced dead, and stated that prison officials had notified families in two of the three cases.
Who the Department Named
On its news page, the Nevada Department of Corrections listed the men as Keith Sullivan, 53, who was pronounced dead at High Desert State Prison on Feb. 6; Albert Cota, 78, who was pronounced dead at Centennial Hills Hospital on March 6; and Carlton Burnett, 63, who was pronounced dead at High Desert on March 9. NDOC’s notices also set out each man’s convictions and stated that autopsies were requested in all three cases. The department said its attempts to contact Sullivan’s next-of-kin were unsuccessful, while family members of Cota and Burnett were notified.
A Troubling Pattern at Indian Springs Facilities
The three latest notices arrive in the middle of a recent run of offender-death postings tied to NDOC’s Indian Springs prisons, a stretch that has drawn growing attention. Earlier this month, multiple inmates died within a single week at the High Desert complex, according to prior reporting. State reports have previously flagged spikes in inmate killings at the Indian Springs facilities, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal has reported officials blaming drug debt and contraband for some past deadly episodes there.
Autopsies and What Happens Next
NDOC’s published mortality information says the department schedules autopsies for in-custody deaths unless next-of-kin files an objection within 72 hours. The agency’s Inspector General’s Office reviews in-custody deaths as appropriate, and coroner findings ultimately determine the official cause and manner of death. Any law-enforcement referrals will follow those results, with NDOC and local coroners saying they will release more details when they can.
NDOC has said that families of Cota and Burnett were notified, while efforts to reach Sullivan’s next-of-kin did not succeed, according to local reporting. This story will be updated as the Nevada Department of Corrections, the Clark County coroner and local news outlets publish additional information.
