NEWPORT — The Vermont State Police is investigating the death of a 54-year-old inmate at the Northern State Correctional Facility.
James Ingerson of Hartford was found unresponsive in his cell around 10 a.m. Saturday, April 5.
According to police, Ingerson had reported feeling unwell and was receiving medical care before his cellmate discovered him and alerted a corrections officer.
Staff members began life-saving measures and called emergency medical services, but Ingerson was pronounced dead at 9:54 a.m. by Newport Emergency Medical Service.
The death does not appear suspicious, police said.
An autopsy will be performed at the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to determine the cause and manner of death.
Department of Corrections records show Ingerson was serving a sentence of one day to 10 years for convictions of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of cocaine.
He was charged in Windsor County in 2022 and sentenced earlier this year, with a minimum release date of Jan. 3 and a maximum of Nov. 17, 2032.
Records from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Burlington indicate Ingerson also faced a 2023 federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and had been ordered detained during those proceedings.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities said no additional information is currently available.
