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Virginia Prosecutor Wants More Investigation into Mentally Ill Inmate's Death

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PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) - A Virginia prosecutor says she has asked Virginia State Police for additional investigative work into the death of a mentally ill inmate at a Portsmouth jail last year.

Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney Stephanie Morales' office says it received a preliminary report Tuesday from Virginia State Police, which is conducting a criminal investigation into Jamycheal Mitchell's death.

Morales' office says she asked for additional work to be done by State Police. She says a decision about whether to bring charges will be made once all findings are turned over.

Mitchell was arrested in April 2015 for stealing $5 worth of junk food from a 7-Eleven.

Mitchell's family filed a $60 million lawsuit accusing jail officials of physically abusing Mitchell and withholding food. The jail has pushed back fiercely against those claims.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.