New Details On Inmate’s Death

San Andreas, CA – Calaveras County Sheriff’s Investigators say the death of a jail inmate in December was due to natural causes.

As reported previously, 59-year-old Kelly Keel of West Point was found dead during routine security check at 7:40 a.m. on December 1, 2014.  Keel was alone in his cell, but neither drugs nor foul play were suspected in his death.  An autopsy was immediately done, but investigators have been waiting for the test results to be released.

“We have received the pathologist report on the cause of death,” says Capt. Ed Ballard.  “It says it was natural causes and that it was almost instantaneously.”

Calaveras County Coroner Kevin Raggio explains Keel died of a ruptured ulcer.  “Death was shock of hemorrhage due to a massive gastrointestinal bleed due to a crater peptic pyloric ulcer and his toxicology [test] came back negative.”

Keel was behind bars for a November 28 assault, but investigators would not comment further on his arrest.