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Grand County Jail inmate dies

Lance Maggart
lmaggart@skyhidailynews.com

A male inmate from the Grand County Jail who was found unconscious last Wednesday after an apparent suicide attempt has since died.

Monday afternoon Grand County officials confirmed the passing of Michael Manuel, 50, of Kremmling after Manuel spent multiple days in critical condition following an apparent suicide attempt last week. The incident began on Wednesday July 6 when a Grand County Sheriff’s Deputy discovered Manuel unconscious inside a holding room in the Grand County Jail.

Deputies began administering CPR on Manuel and called for Grand County EMS. Manuel was airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood shortly afterwards on a Flight For Life helicopter.



Grand County Coroner Brenda Bock was preparing for autopsy procedures on Manuel’s body Tuesday morning and was not able to release additional details until after the autopsy was performed. Manuel’s official time of death is listed as 3:19 p.m. Sunday July 10, after he was removed from life support.

A press release issued by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday afternoon July 12 states, “The preliminary investigation revealed that 50 year old Michael Manuel had been placed in a holding room after being arrested on a Protection Order Violation. Manuel was alone in the room when he was discovered with a small cord wrapped around his neck. Manuel had been placed on a suicide watch, since his admission into the jail, and had been checked regularly and within a few minutes of this incident.”



The press release from the GCSO goes on to state, “Sheriff’s Office and EMS staff responded very quickly and appropriately during this incident and were able to revive the patient prior to him being transported to the hospital.” Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin personally notified Manuel’s family when the incident occurred.

According to the release, “a full and thorough investigation will be completed to insure that all policies and guidelines were followed in response to this situation.”

Grand County Deputies receive training in CPR, response to medical issues, advanced training in Crisis Intervention and are trained to recognize and address mental health issues with inmates.

The press release from the GCSO closes with the following paragraph. “Cases like this are extremely emotional for everyone involved. We appreciate the hard work of the First Responders who handled the initial call, and the investigators tasked with conducting the inquiry into this heartbreaking incident. Our hearts are with the victim’s family as they move forward.”


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