What began as a night at a local music festival in Kemmerer ended in tragedy when a 38-year-old Utah man collapsed and died while being booked into the Lincoln County Jail at about 10:20 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, according to sheriff’s officials. Authorities identified him as Tyson J. Alvares of Smithfield. Officers tried to save his life at the jail but could not revive him.
According to a Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Facebook post and as reported by KSL, Alvares collapsed while he was being booked and was not breathing when officers found him. The post states that EMTs had evaluated him earlier after he admitted using a controlled substance and showed "very erratic behavior," and that officers again attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful.
Public booking snapshots list Tyson J. Alvares as having been arrested July 25 on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, breach of the peace and disorderly conduct, according to recentlybooked. He was detained at the Oyster Ridge Music Festival in Kemmerer, an outdoor event held at Triangle Park.
Investigation Underway
As KSL reported, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation has opened a probe into the in-custody death. The DCI is the statewide investigative arm of the Wyoming Attorney General's Office and handles major criminal inquiries, according to the Attorney General's website.
What Comes Next
When an arrest-related death occurs, county coroners or medical investigators typically order an autopsy and toxicology testing to establish cause and manner of death. A review on the NCBI Bookshelf notes that those analyses can take days to weeks before results are made public. Findings from autopsies and DCI inquiries are usually shared with prosecutors and released publicly when appropriate.
The sheriff's office posted its initial notice on Facebook and said it will cooperate with state investigators, and no further details about the cause of death have been released. We will update this report as officials or the DCI provide additional information.
