Inmate found dead at prison in Leesburg
By Jana Wagoner
A 21-year-old Sterling man was found dead July 1 in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center in Leesburg.
Shortly before 11 a.m., Matthew Douglas Simpson was found dead in his cell. He had been booked into the prison just before 4 p.m. the previous day after violating his probation on two felony charges of possession of a controlled substance, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell said.
Simpson had a cell mate, but his body showed no signs of physical trauma, and there is no indication that he tried to hurt himself, Troxell said.
Corrections officers at the prison check each cell every 30 minutes, Troxell said, and during each check, they found Simpson in a sleeping position.
When Simpson did not leave his cell for breakfast or lunch, people at the jail became concerned and went to check on him, Troxell said. That's when he was found dead.
Although Simpson had a known medical history, Troxell could not elaborate on the details of that history.
Simpson was being held without bond awaiting a scheduled meeting of the Loudoun County Adult Drug Treatment Court, Troxell said.
The court usually meets Wednesdays at 8 a.m. in the Loudoun County Courthouse in Leesburg.
The Virginia Medical Examiner's Office in Fairfax County are investigating the cause and manner of Simpson's death, while the Sheriff's Office is investigating the circumstances that led to his death, Troxell said.