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Two inmates die hours apart at Hampton Roads Regional Jail

The deaths of the two inmates were unrelated, but both were reported on Thursday.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Hampton Roads Regional Jail officials say two inmates died in separate incidents on Thursday.

The first happened early in the morning. Jail officials say 49-year-old Keith Andre Robinson was making preparations in the kitchen to start baking at 1:46 a.m. when he collapsed. 

Officials conducted lifesaving measures on him until Portsmouth EMS teams got to to the scene, but Robinson died a little more than an hour after his collapse.

Then around 2:30 p.m., 74-year-old William Felton, who had been hospitalized at Maryview Medical Center, passed away.

Felton was undergoing end-of-life care and had been at the hospital since January 27. 

"HRRJ's policy is to solicit a Compassion Release for any inmate whose health deteriorates drastically or those diagnosed by medical providers to be terminally ill," the jail said in a news release. "Unfortunately, our best efforts to acquire a release for Mr. Felton were not successful."

Felton was a pre-trial inmate, charged with 2nd-degree murder.  Police say he stabbed another senior citizen at a Norfolk apartment complex in 2019.

Robinson had been serving two years and six months for possession of marijuana with intent and was also serving time for a parole board warrant. Additionally, he was on hold for the U.S. Marshals for a federal probation violation.

In the case of Robinson's death, HRRJ says two separate investigations are underway: one by the jail and one by Portsmouth police. This is standard procedure.

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