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Answers sought in prison death

Coroner says woman took own life

Mirror photo by Kay Stephens / Deborah and Dennis Beckwith talk on Thursday about their daughter, Samantha Beckwith, who was found unresponsive in the Blair County Prison. Dennis Beckwith said that his family remains unsatisfied with local investigations finding no blame in his daughter’s death.

Mirror photo by Kay Stephens / Deborah and Dennis Beckwith talk on Thursday about their daughter, Samantha Beckwith, who was found unresponsive in the Blair County Prison. Dennis Beckwith said that his family remains unsatisfied with local investigations finding no blame in his daughter's death.

Mirror photo by Kay Stephens / Deborah and Dennis Beckwith talk on Thursday about their daughter, Samantha Beckwith, who was found unresponsive in the Blair County Prison. Dennis Beckwith said that his family remains unsatisfied with local investigations finding no blame in his daughter’s death.

The family members of a Altoona woman found dead Monday in the Blair County Prison are searching for answers about the death of their loved one.

Even if 23-year-old Samantha Beckwith died by suicide as concluded by the county coroner’s office, her father, Dennis Beckwith, said Thursday that his family remains unsatisfied with local investigations finding no blame in his daughter’s death.

“Somebody needs to give us some answers,” Beckwith said. “Maybe the attorney general’s office needs to come in.”

Coroner Patty Ross said Thursday that her department did a thorough investigation, including the review of prison video, and saw no foul play. She said the inmate died of asphyxiation, accomplished with the use of a shirt.

Ross said she was aware of the family’s concerns based on social media website postings.

“All the complaints the family has, there’s no supportive facts behind them,” Ross said.

Sheriff Mitch Cooper, who chairs the county prison board, said Hollidaysburg Borough police are investigating, too, and until that work is complete, little information is available.

“Anything like this is certainly sad, and every effort is made to prevent a tragedy,” Cooper said. “But is every prison foolproof to prevent such a tragedy? I dare say that it’s not.”

Dennis Beckwith said he and his family members have collected some information, via personal contact and social media website postings, related to Samantha’s death.

One of those postings indicates that Samantha was found at 3:11 p.m. and that an attempt to address her condition was impeded by empty oxygen tanks. The call for an ambulance to the prison was logged at 4:14 p.m.

Ross said she looked into the complaints based on social media postings.

“There are no supportive facts,” the coroner said.

Asked if more than an hour passed before an ambulance was summoned, Ross said that wasn’t true.

“When she was found, they started CPR immediately … but she was (already) dead,” Ross said.

Deborah Beckwith of Altoona said she tried to visit her granddaughter on Sunday. But the grandmother was turned away, she said, and told Samantha was in an isolation unit after running around her cellblock without clothing.

“Right there, isn’t that a sign that something is wrong?” Dennis Beckwith asked.

Both he and Deborah Beckwith acknowledge that Samantha had mental health issues that should have garnered attention and medication.

Ross said her investigation revealed that Samantha was offered psychiatric care when she was admitted to the prison and turned it down. Samantha was in prison on a parole violation, after being stopped on Oct. 18 and being charged with DUI.

County personnel have confirmed that Samantha was not on suicide watch, a term reflecting the practice of more frequent checks of inmates believed to be at risk of harming themselves.

Dennis Beckwith said his review of social media postings indicate that prison personnel were aware of his daughter’s mental health issues. He said he has also been in contact with a former inmate who knew his daughter and advised him of his daughter’s need for help because prison guards had been telling her to settle down or she would regret it.

“I want to know the truth about what happened,” Deborah Beckwith said. “And if somebody inside that prison knows, please let me know.”

Dennis Beckwith said he wants to know more and will take phone calls at 889-9235, email messages at dennisbeckwith56@gmail.com and letters at 2809 Sixth Ave., Altoona, PA 16602.

“This is not an open and closed case,” Dennis Beckwith said. “All the things being said, they just don’t add up. My ‘midget’ is gone. I’ll never get to hold her again, to tell her I love her. I just want to get some answers.”

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