Indiana State Police have launched an investigation into the death of a 50-year-old inmate at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill. Detectives with the ISP Criminal Investigations Division at the Peru post opened the probe on April 4 after the inmate, identified as Shawn Booker, was found, officials said. Investigators from the Miami County Coroner's Office and the prison are assisting, and an autopsy is scheduled to determine Booker's cause and manner of death.
Investigation Under Way
According to WTHR, state police said in a news release that the Peru post opened the inquiry, with investigators from the Miami County Coroner’s Office and facility staff helping to gather evidence. The release notes that an autopsy will be completed to determine Booker's cause and manner of death. The Indiana Department of Correction lists the Miami Correctional Facility at 3038 West 850 South in Bunker Hill and classifies it as a Level 4 high-medium security prison.
Recent Incidents At The Facility
The same prison has been at the center of other in-custody death investigations in recent months. In March, nine inmates were charged in connection with a November 2025 assault that killed another inmate, J. Trinidad Ramirez, as reported in coverage of the assault that killed another inmate. That case highlighted how state police and the county coroner work together when someone dies behind the prison walls.
What Comes Next
Investigators say only limited information will be released while detectives and the coroner's staff continue their work. Officials plan to provide updates after the autopsy is completed and the evidence is reviewed, according to WTHR. For now, the investigation remains active.
