On December 11, 2022, a female inmate in the El Paso County Jail died while in custody.

On December 11, at around 9:50 a.m., a deputy sheriff found her unresponsive in her assigned cell, she was its sole occupant. A medical staff member was in the housing ward at the time she was found.

Life saving measures were initiated by Sheriff's Office personnel and medical staff until responders from the American Medical Response (AMR) and the Colorado Springs Fire Department took over medical care. Despite life saving measures, the inmate passed away.  

The inmate has been identified as Savannah Poppell, age 24. She was booked into the El Paso County Jail on December 7, 2022. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Savannah Poppell's family and friends.

On December 12, 2022, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy. The preliminary autopsy report indicates her death was likely due to an upper gastrointestinal bleed from an esophageal tear due to vomiting in the setting of substance withdrawal. The Coroner's Office is awaiting toxicology results before establishing the official cause and manner of death.

This is an active investigation and any information released will only come from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Public Information Office.