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UTAH STATE PRISON — Corrections officials say the suspicious death of an inmate at the Utah State Prison remained under investigation Monday, but newly unsealed court documents suggest investigators are looking at whether foul play was involved.
Kenny Duane Hall, 57, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Utah State Prison in Draper on Feb. 11 on died at a local hospital on Feb. 16, according to a press release issued in February.
A security camera at the prison recorded Hall going into his cell on Feb. 11 with his cellmate and the cell door closing behind them.
"Approximately one hour later, prison staff were checking on the inmates and found the victim unconscious and bleeding in his cell. The victim's cellmate ... told prison staff, 'You have a man down in here,'" according to a search warrant affidavit filed in 3rd District Court.
The cellmate was the only person in the room with Hall. He appeared to have blood stains on his pants, according to the warrant.
"Corrections officers also noted that a towel had been tightly wrapped around the victim's legs," the affidavit states. "Inmates near the cell where the victim and (suspect) were housed explained that they heard/felt several thumps a short while before the victim was found unconscious in his cell."
An autopsy was performed "and the preliminary cause of death for the victim was blunt force trauma and asphyxia," according to the warrant. No criminal charges have been filed in connection with Hall's death.
Hall had been incarcerated at the prison since 2019 when he was convicted of assault by a prisoner for an incident while he was in the Millard County Jail.
