Dead Prisoner OD’d on Heroin and Fentanyl: Coroner

JOLIET, IL — A convict who died on his way to Stateville Correctional Center last month had overdosed on heroin and fentanyl, toxicological testing revealed.

Clifford Nelson, 49, was found unresponsive on a prisoner transport bus when it got to Stateville Feb. 27. Nelson was taken to Presence St. Joseph Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased in the emergency room.

Nelson, a Chicago resident, was on his way from the Cook County jail to Stateville. He was heading back to prison for violating his parole, said Department of Corrections spokeswoman Nicole Wilson.

“Upon arrival, Cook County staff informed the IDOC that Nelson was on the bus and unresponsive,” Wilson said in an email. “IDOC staff performed lifesaving measures until paramedics arrived on scene and transferred Nelson to a local hospital.”

The state police are investigating Nelson’s death, which Will County Coroner Patrick O’Neil’s office has classified an accident. State police spokeswoman Deann Falat did not immediately respond to questions about when Nelson ingested the heroin and fentanyl that killed him.

Nelson had been paroled from Stateville in April after serving a month for a theft conviction, according to Department of Corrections records. He also did prison time for 15 prior theft convictions, as well as for possession of a controlled substance and burglary.

Clifford Nelson | image via Illinois Department of Corrections