Chenango County Investigates Death of Inmate

Chenango County Sheriff’s officials say an investigation into the death Wednesday, March 17 of an inmate in the county jail indicates the man apparently turned down treatment for a medical condition two weeks earlier and that condition led to his death.

22-year-old Dillin Button was found unresponsive in his bunk in his cell at around 1:30 Wednesday morning and efforts by Corrections Offices to wake him, followed by life-saving measures failed.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was a bacterial blood infection of the heart and pneumonia.

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Authorities say Button, two weeks prior to his incarceration, had sought treatment at a local hospital and had been diagnosed with the conditions but checked himself out of care before completing his treatment. Investigators say medical documentation states that there was a risk of death if the treatment didn’t continue.

The Sheriff’s office says it has interviewed 31 inmates and 10 Corrections employees and the investigation and interviews are continuing.