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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- An investigation is ongoing to identify why a 43-year-old Blair County Prison inmate died in his cell on Oct. 4, the day after he was admitted to the prison upon being arrested by UPMC Altoona police.
Coroner Patty Ross said Friday that Marcus Jason McCreary, 43, was pronounced dead at the prison where he was found unconscious in a cell by himself.
"It wasn't suicide, and there's no foul play in this case," the coroner said. "He did have an extensive medical history and a history of drug use, which may or may not have been a factor."
Ross said her office arranged for an autopsy with reports that are pending. Toxicology tests were ordered as well, and those results aren't yet available, Ross said.
Blair County Prison Warden Abbie Tate declined Friday to offer details about McCreary's death.
Under the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013, inmate deaths are to be reported to federal and state agencies, including the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the state Department of Corrections.
Tate said the death will be included in a report she files at the end of the month with the state Department of Corrections.
McCreary, who court records indicate was living in Altoona, was arrested on Oct. 3 by UPMC Altoona police on misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of defiant trespass.
Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio, who was scheduled to preside over McCreary's preliminary hearing on Wednesday, dismissed the charges after learning of McCreary's death.
The Indiana Gazette published an obituary on Oct. 7, indicating that McCreary, who had grown up in Indiana and lived in Johnstown, died in the early morning hours of Oct. 4. The obituary described McCreary as someone who was known for his quick-witted comedic and jovial nature, as well as his smile.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.