Vermont State Police investigating death of Bennington man in prison

Vermont State Police are investigating the death of a Bennington man in his prison cell.

Michael Myers, 51, was found unresponsive at around 9:30 a.m. on Monday by a staff member at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield who had gone to check on him. Myers had been complaining of feeling ill during the past few days and had returned to his cell to lie down, police said.

Staff members began performing life-saving measures. He was pronounced dead at 10 a.m.

An autopsy will be performed at the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to determine the cause of death.

It does not appear to be suspicious, and initial indications is it was from a medical event.

Myers had been in prison since 2016 on convictions that included aggravated assault with a weapon, three counts of aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence, possession of heroin, unlawful trespass and resisting arrest.