In-custody death at Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility

WICHITA, Kan. — The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 72-year-old male inmate who was found unresponsive Sunday morning, Nov. 16, 2025, in the clinic unit of the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility. 

Deputies found the inmate shortly after 10 a.m. Detention staff and on-site medical personnel immediately began life-saving measures. Sedgwick County EMS and the Wichita Fire Department responded, and EMS transported him to a Wichita hospital. Doctors pronounced him dead shortly after 11 a.m.

The inmate had a history of several chronic medical conditions, including a brain tumor and hypertension, among other ailments. On Nov. 8, he was taken to a local hospital for treatment of acute kidney failure. He remained hospitalized until his discharge on Nov. 11, when he was returned to the facility and admitted to the on-site medical observation unit under close clinical monitoring.

An autopsy will determine the cause of death.

The Sheriff’s Office notified the Kansas Bureau of Investigation per protocol, and detectives are conducting a full investigation. The inmate’s family has been notified, and his identity is being withheld at their request.

He had been in custody since Nov. 6 on charges of criminal threat and domestic battery.

This is the sixth in-custody death at the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility in 2025.

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