Second inmate who died at Thurston County jail has been identified

A 53-year-old man who died at the Thurston County jail on Sept. 14 has been identified by the Thurston County Coroner’s Office.

This is the second death at the jail this month. The first man, Earl Alexander II, 65, died Sept. 7.

The second man was identified Tuesday as Steven O. Ray, Coroner Gary Warnock said.

The cause of death for both Ray and Alexander will be determined once his office has received the results of toxicology reports, Warnock said.

Warnock decided to release Ray’s name because his office has been unable to locate family members. Anyone with information about Ray is asked to call the Thurston County Coroner’s Office at 360-867-2140.

About 12:30 p.m. Sept. 14, deputies and fire personnel responded to the jail after reports of an inmate in medical crisis.

Corrections staff and on-site medical personnel immediately began life-saving efforts, which were continued by arriving medics. The medics began to transport the inmate, but he did not survive the trip to the hospital, The Olympian reported.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has requested an independent investigation from the Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team. The investigation is being led by the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 12:23 PM.