Officials with the Kentucky Justice and Safety Cabinet reported that Knuckles was "part of a work crew clearing snow and ice from facility grounds before regular inmate movement when he fell." He was taken to Appalachian Regional Hospital in West Liberty and was pronounced dead around 7:30 a.m.
“This tragic accident is one that we work to avoid each day as we protect those in our custody,” Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Knuckles and to our correctional staff. We will conduct a thorough review of this situation to better prevent this from happening again.”
Kentucky State Police are investigating, which is standard policy of the Kentucky Department of Corrections when an inmate dies in custody.
When asked about Knuckles' death during his Team Kentucky press briefing on Thursday, Governor Andy Beshear promised a thorough investigation and complete transparency.
"I'm concerned any time we lose someone that's in state custody in one of our corrections institutions or outside of it. KSP has an investigation. There's going to be a full review and evaluation from the Justice Cabinet," Beshear said. "I don't know any of the facts firsthand, but what I want to make sure is that the full truth comes out and that we're fully transparent. Decisions made good or bad, they deserve to be seen by that family and by everyone else."
One of the things investigators will determine is whether prison protocols were properly followed.
