TOPEKA, Kan. – A Lansing Correctional Facility resident who died Wednesday, April 29, had tested positive for COVID-19.
The resident was a male over the age of 60 with underlying medical conditions who tested positive for the virus on April 25. He was transferred to KU Medical Center on April 24. The official manner of death for all COVID-19 deaths is natural causes.
The individual was serving a life sentence for charges including two counts of robbery, five counts of aggravated burglary, four counts of kidnapping, 12 counts of rape, two counts of sexual battery, three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy and two counts of drug possession. He had been imprisoned with the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) since 1999. For the privacy of his family and due to confidentiality laws, the KDOC will not release his name nor his underlying medical conditions. His family has been notified.
The Lansing Correctional Facility, formerly the Kansas State Penitentiary, opened in 1867 during the presidency of Andrew Johnson and is the oldest and largest state correctional facility in Kansas. Serving only males, the facility capacity is 2,432 residents.
For current information on COVID-19 in Kansas, and to sign up for updates, go to the KDHE COVID-19 Resource Center at kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus. For information on the KDOC’s response to COVID-19, visit https://www.doc.ks.gov/kdoc-coronavirus-updates.
