36-year-old man found dead in Lake County Jail

A 36-year-old man was found unresponsive in his Lake County Jail medical unit cell Friday.

David Butterfield of Zion was arrested Monday for failing to appear in court on an arrest warrant for possession of a controlled substance, according to a statement from the Lake County sheriff’s office.

While in custody, the man stated he was feeling sick from drug withdrawal symptoms, and he was later put under the care of the jail medical unit, according to the statement.

Jail personnel began administering aid and called for an ambulance when they found the man unresponsive in his medical unit cell Friday. He was taken to Vista East Hospital in Waukegan, where he was pronounced dead, according to the statement.

An autopsy Friday found that the preliminary cause of death was natural causes and final toxicology results are pending. There were no signs of internal or external trauma to the inmate’s body, according to the statement.

Under newly established protocol, the Lake County Major Crime Task Force will conduct an independent investigation into the man’s death.