An inmate who was found dead May 26 at the Clark County Jail died of methamphetamine intoxication, according to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The medical examiner ruled Dylan Matthew Elia’s death an accident.
“Given the relatively long and extremely variable half-life of methamphetamine, it is not possible to determine when and where this use occurred,” the medical examiner’s office said in a news release Friday.
Elia, 38, of Vancouver was discovered unresponsive in the booking detox area by deputies and medical staff at 11:02 a.m. “Personnel immediately began performing life saving measures and requested emergency medical assistance,” according to a sheriff’s office news release. Medics responded to the jail and pronounced Elia dead at 11:09 a.m.
The Clark County Major Crimes Unit, including the sheriff’s office, is investigating the incident.
Elia was arrested about 3:30 p.m. May 23 in the 200 block of East 39th Street. A Vancouver police officer pulled over a 1983 Nissan pickup because it did not have a front license place. The officer asked for the usual documents from the driver, identified as Elia, who gave his name but said his license was suspended, according to court records.
When the officer ran Elia’s and the truck’s information through a database, he learned the rear license plate was stolen. Elia and a passenger both had arrest warrants, court records say.
Deputies did not note that Elia had any observable health problems, or indicate he had recently ingested drugs, among a list of 13 routine questions, according to a jail booking sheet. Elia appeared May 24 in Clark County District Court and pleaded guilty to third-degree driving with a suspended license, court records show.
The plea agreement called for Elia to spend two days in jail followed by two years of probation. He returned to the jail after the hearing.
