Federal prison officials in Florence are investigating the death of an inmate in his cell Tuesday, though it appears Donald Goode had a heart attack or other medical emergency, they said.
Goode, 46, was discovered clutching his chest in his cell and was rushed to local hospital, where he died.
Goode was serving a 15 1/2-year sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution in Florence on a weapons charge New Mexico, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
He had been at the prison in Fremont County since June 2006.
An autopsy has been ordered to verify whether his death was from natural causes, the prison system said in a media release today.
Goode was convicted on a federal charge of being felon in possession of a weapon after a police chief in Capitan, N.M., found an imported Llama 32-caliber pistol in Goode’s car in April 2003.
Goode was in custody and his 1983 Buick was impounded, after his girlfriend at the time said he had stolen $500 from her, according to court records in the case.
His probation officer at the time told police Goode “is a heroin addict who will do anything to obtain drugs,” court records state.
