Inmate death is investigated

BONNERS FERRY — The death of a Boundary County inmate is under investigation after the man was found unresponsive in his cell and life-saving efforts were unsuccessful.

According to a press release, a Boundary County Sheriff detention deputy found inmate Brian Howarth, 48, unresponsive and not breathing in his jail cell at 7:10 a.m. Friday.

The deputy requested an ambulance and immediately began life saving efforts. Howarth was transported by ambulance to the Boundary Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The incident is under investigation and the cause of death has not been determined, according to Rich Stephens, chief deputy for the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office.

Howarth had pled guilty recently to a second drunken driving charge and was sentenced to 180 days in jail with 120 days suspended, according to court records. Of the 60 days jail time he was to serve, 30 were to be in in-patient treatment in lieu of jail, according to court records.

The initial investigation has not indicated any foul play attributing to Howarth’s death, officials said.