Huntingdon, PA– Chad Wakefield, superintendent of the State Correctional Institution at Smithfield, reported that inmate John Diehl, 39, was found unresponsive in his cell on Tuesday, December 19, 2023. Prison staff and medical personnel immediately responded and provided life-saving measures until emergency medical services arrived. Diehl was pronounced deceased by institutional medical staff.
Diehl was serving a 2-to-4-year sentence for burglary on an Armstrong County conviction. He arrived at SCI Smithfield on December 15, 2023.
In accordance with state policy, the Pennsylvania State Police were notified and will conduct an investigation. The official cause of death will be determined by the Huntingdon County Coroner's Office.
The deceased's next-of-kin has been notified.
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