Coroner finds pills in throat of man who died while being bonded out of jail
A plastic container of pills was found during an autopsy in the throat of a 64-year-old man who collapsed while awaiting his release from jail.
Sgt. Adam Sherman of the Adams County Sheriff's Office said the container measured 2.5 centimeters by 2.5 centimeters and did not appear to have been opened. The pills are thought to be fentanyl, he said.
Jon Dru Casey was arrested on an outstanding traffic warrant Sept. 7 by ACSO deputies and brought to the intake center of the Adams County Detention Facility, according to a press release from the sheriff's office. He arrived at 10:39 p.m.
Casey was interviewed by a medical staff member, which is a standard part of intake procedure at the jail. It was learned Casey had a medical condition, as stated in the press release, and a wheelchair was provided to him. The release does not state what Casey's symptoms were nor what condition he was suffering from.
Casey was then placed in a holding cell as his bond was being processed, meaning his release was imminent. Deputies later found Casey slumped over in his wheelchair. He was unresponsive, and they attempted to revive him. This included performing CPR and using a dose of Narcan, per the sheriff's office.
Paramedics arrived in the booking area and took over CPR, but Casey was pronounced deceased five minutes after midnight.
The autopsy was done the next day at the Adams and Broomfield Counties Office of the Coroner. The unopened container of multiple apparent 'M30' pills was taken into evidence by the sheriff's office.
The coroner's office did not have an official cause of death. The results of toxicology testing often are not received for several weeks.
Adams County's update included a photo from its investigation into Casey's death. The photo, a still taken from the agency's body-worn cameras and in-car cameras, allegedly shows Casey reaching into his front pants pocket during his transport to the jail.
"He is seen placing something into his mouth" 10 minutes before he was removed from the vehicle and taken into booking, ACSO stated.
The sheriff's office is still investigating Casey's passing.
Casey was previously arrested three times this year by Thornton Police, according to a search of online court records. Each arrest included a felony drug charge; two of them denote fentanyl as the controlled substance in his possession. Casey was still on probation for the most recent of those cases.
