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State Police Investigate Death of 38-Year-Old at North Branch Prison

The case will be reviewed by the Allegany County State's Attorney after investigators complete their work.

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A corrections officer checks a cellblock at the North Branch Correctional Institution near Cumberland. File. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun).
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Overview

  • Officers found Patrick Candeloro, 38, unresponsive on the floor of his cell on the evening of Sept. 6 at North Branch Correctional Institution, and emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
  • Maryland State Police and forensic specialists are investigating, the cause and manner of death are undetermined, and the completed probe will go to the Allegany County State's Attorney for review.
  • North Branch has faced other recent incidents, including the July 18 death of Elias Alvarado with another inmate identified as a suspect, the November 2024 death of Robert Warren, and the stabbing of two correctional officers last November.
  • This death follows multiple 2025 cases in Maryland prisons under homicide investigation, including the Aug. 31 death of Donyell Morris at Eastern Correctional Institution, the late July death of Brian Bell at Jessup, and recent murder charges filed in the March death of Shane Lanham.
  • Official figures show prison deaths fell from 42 in 2023 to 22 in 2024, while state data counted 39 deaths by June 29, 2025, and a DPSCS body‑camera pilot launched at North Branch in March to increase transparency.