An inmate at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton died Sunday night after sustaining injuries in his two-person cell and his cellmate is being investigated for murder. A Washington State Department of Corrections news release identified the deceased inmate as 57-year-old Bryan Emmal who began serving a life sentence in September for a conviction in Thurston County for child molestation.
According to a report from Northwest Public Radio, Emmal was found in his cell gravely injured just before 10 PM. Following protocol, WCC staff called for an ambulance and started life-saving procedures. Emmal was pronounced dead a short time later.
Mr. Emmal’s cellmate, Daniel Porter, 28, was placed in handcuffs, without incident, and secured in the facility’s intensive management unit (IMU), pending investigation. Porter began serving a 15-month sentence Sunday after being convicted of burglary 1 in Pierce County. His expected release date was March 4, 2018.
A crime scene was established and local law enforcement was contacted to investigate an apparent homicide. The Washington State Department of Corrections will immediately begin a critical incident review of Emmal’s death.