NORTON, Kansas. – Norton Correctional Facility inmate Joshua Wilburn, 46, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was found unresponsive in his cell Tuesday afternoon. Staff began life-saving measures immediately and continued after emergency medical services arrived but were unsuccessful.
Wilburn was serving an 18-month sentence for five counts of violating the Kansas Offender Registration Act stemming from convictions in Wisconsin. In 2009 he was convicted of repeated acts of sexual assault against the same child, according to the Kansas Sex Offender Registry.
The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.
Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is ongoing.