Autopsy shows IRC jail inmate died from Kratom overdose
Indian River, Fl- An inmate at the Indian River County jail died from a kratom overdose.
An autopsy revealed that Zacharriah Zimmer’s cause of death was an accidental kratom overdose. Vero Beach police arrested the 42-year old Zimmer April 3rd and he appeared before a judge hours before his death on April 4th. Zimmer also suffered from an underlying heart condition which contributed to his death. The DEA said last year that it intended to make kratom a Schedule I Controlled Substance, in the same group as heroin. The process later stalled. Kratom is a plant that can help opioid addicts wean themselves off drugs.
FDA and Kratom
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, a plant which grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. FDA is concerned that kratom, which affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine, appears to have properties that expose users to the risks of addiction, abuse, and dependence.
Here is original story:BREAKING NEWS
Unresponsive inmate dies at Indian River hospital
Indian River County, Fla- Earlier this morning, Indian River County Sheriff’s Deputies were notified of a 42 year old white male inmate who was unresponsive.
The inmate shared a cell in the medical wing with another inmate, who advised corrections staff that he heard gurgling noises and found his cell mate unresponsive. Deputies immediately began performing CPR. Indian River County Emergency Services responded to transport the inmate to Indian River Medical Center.
The inmate was pronounced dead at the hospital at 10:55 AM. Detectives are currently investigating the death and attempting to notify family members. At this time, there are no signs of trauma. The death is believed to be related to ongoing medical issues associated with this inmate.
More information will be released once next of kin has been notified.
UPDATE APRIL 5, 2018
Yesterday, inmate Zacharriah Zimmer (42) was found unresponsive in his cell by his cell mate. Nurse Cynthia Douglas and corrections staff performed CPR until Indian River County Emergency Services arrived and transported Zimmer to the hospital where he died. An autopsy was conducted today, which confirmed that his death was related to his extensive medical history. No signs of trauma or foul play were observed during the autopsy. Detectives await the final results of the toxicology screening. Zimmer was arrested by the Vero Beach Police Department on April 3rd for battery domestic violence and transported to the Indian River County Jail where he faced first a appearance hearing on Wednesday, April 4th, just hours before passing away.
