Autopsy: Jail inmate had no signs of trauma or foul play

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — William P. Starks Jr.'s autopsy did not indicate a reason why he died Monday inside his cell at the Tippecanoe County Jail.

Starks' cause of death and manner of death are pending toxicology results, Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello said in a news release Wednesday after the autopsy.

"The preliminary autopsy finds for William Porker Starks Jr. indicate no signs of acute trauma or foul play," Costello wrote in the news release.

Starks Jr., 42, was found unresponsive in his jail cell just before noon Monday. Life-saving efforts failed and he was pronounced dead at the jail.

More:Coroner identifies inmate who died in Tippecanoe County Jail

Indiana State Police are investigating Starks' death, and the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office is conducting an internal review to make sure policies and procedures were followed, Tippecanoe County Sheriff Bob Goldsmith said.

There are no conclusions in either the state police investigation or the sheriff's office internal investigation, according to ISP Sgt. Jeremy Piers and Goldsmith.

Lafayette police arrested Starks about 8:10 p.m. Sunday on a warrant from a 2005 case. He was in the jail about 15 hours before he died.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Autopsy: Jail inmate had no signs of trauma or foul play