Overview
- An incident late Saturday at the privately run Bent County Correctional Facility in Las Animas left two inmates dead and a third injured and triggered an immediate facility lockdown.
- The Bent County coroner identified the deceased as Charles Gates, 27, and Michael Fisher, 59, and said causes and manners of death are being withheld pending an autopsy and toxicology results.
- The CDOC Office of the Inspector General is leading the probe, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation collected evidence at the scene, and findings will be submitted to the 16th Judicial District Attorney for charging review.
- In-person visitation was paused systemwide as a precaution and was lifted Monday for other prisons, but Bent County remains on secure lockdown with phone and video services restored for most facilities.
- Officials have released few details to protect the investigation and next-of-kin notifications, they say there is no known threat to nearby communities, and toxicology results could take up to 10 weeks.