39-year-old is 8th SD inmate to die in 2024; 91st death in past decade

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- A federal inmate housed by the South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC) is the eighth offender to die in custody so far in 2024.

Earlier this week, the DOC announced the death of 70-year-old inmate Harry Kirkvold, the seventh inmate death of 2024.

The DOC announced Andrew Gordon's death in a release Wednesday morning, noting he died on Tuesday and he was a federal offender housed at the Jameson Annex to the South Dakota State Penitentiary.

Gordon had been housed with the DOC for the U.S. Marshals Service since May 17, 2024.

KELOLAND News reached out to the DOC to enquire about the cause of death for Gordon, who was 39-years-old.

In an emailed response, DOC spokesperson Michael Winder cited DOC policy 300-20 Death of an Offender:

Certain individually identifiable information pertaining to an offender and the facts and circumstances of the offender’s death may be protected by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rules/confidentiality requirements. The D...