An inmate of the Henry County Jail, around 5:45 p.m. on Thursday allegedly told deputies she had taken an excessive amount of prescription blood pressure medication, according to a release from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.
The Henry County Department of Public Safety responded to the jail when deputies requested emergency medical personnel to check the inmate’s condition. Based on that evaluation, deputies transported the inmate to SOVAH Health Martinsville at 6:50 p.m. Thursday, the release stated.
Upon leaving the Henry County Jail and arriving at SOVAH Health, the inmate was said to be alert, coherent, and displaying no signs of medical distress, according to the release.
Tanna Shelton Fitzgerald, 54, of Fieldale, died at SOVAH Health Martinsville around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, the release stated.
Preliminary results from an autopsy was performed at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Western District of Virginia on October 15 showed no obvious signs of trauma or foul play, according to the release. The complete autopsy report is pending results of toxicology testing.
Fitzgerald was jailed on May 20, on three felony charges related to the alleged shooting death of Pamela Morse. She was being held in the Henry County Jail without bond.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division responded to the incident and conducted an investigation. Additionally, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, according to Virginia Department of Corrections guidelines, reported this death to the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC), which also will conduct an investigation and review the incident.
