Autopsy released of inmate who collapsed in custody Sunday

By Aaron Navarro

The coroner released that a Champaign County jail inmate died of natural causes after collapsing Sunday morningmp.

The inmate, 59-year-old Paul Clifton of Urbana, had been in custody for less than 36 hours before he was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital. He collapsed around 9:15 a.m. Sunday and was pronounced dead at 10:18 a.m.mp

Clifton was arrested around 1 a.m. at the corner of Sixth Street and Bradley Avenue on Saturday morning for violating terms of his probation by driving on a suspended license.

The final autopsy results are dependent on the completion of toxicology testing and histology studies, Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup said.

“Those tests usually take 60 days or more to finish. It really depends on how busy the laboratory is and such,” Northrup said.

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The toxicology and histology studies each take about two weeks or more.

A press release by Northrup said that the “preliminary findings revealed no evidence of injury or trauma.”

Clifton’s death is currently being investigated by the Coroner’s Office, Champaign County Multi-jurisdictional Investigation Team and the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.

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