Two Inmates in Vermont Pass Away in Separate Incidents

Two individuals have succumbed to health issues at different medical facilities since the end of last week.

Two individuals who were in custody in Vermont have succumbed to health issues at different medical facilities since the end of last week. Jose Luis Gonzalez, aged 51 and from Connecticut, passed away on March 27 at UVM Medical Center. Two days later, Jonathan Stone, 37, from St. Johnsbury, died at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Prior to their deaths, both inmates had required medical treatment. The Vermont Department of Corrections and Vermont State Police announced that the circumstances surrounding the deaths do not seem to indicate foul play. An investigation into the incidents will be conducted by state police, the Defender General's Office, and the corrections department's investigative unit. 

Gonzalez was being held at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland while awaiting trial before he was transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center at the end of February. After more than three weeks, he was moved to UVM Medical Center. Meanwhile, Stone had been in custody since 2019 and was hospitalized for approximately two weeks before his passing, after which he was transferred from North Country Hospital in Newport to Dartmouth Hitchcock.

In 2025, the state recorded nine fatalities among those in the Department of Corrections' care, while at least four deaths have been reported in 2026 thus far, as indicated by departmental releases.