The Shadow
FINCASTLE, Va. (VR) – An inmate at the Botetourt-Craig Regional Jail was found unresponsive in his cell during a routine security check on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
At approximately 10:57 a.m., a correctional deputy conducting rounds discovered the inmate, Richard Jeffrey Sprinkel, age 57, unresponsive in his single-occupancy cell. The deputy immediately notified emergency medical personnel and began administering life-saving measures. Emergency medical services arrived promptly and continued resuscitation efforts; however, the inmate was ultimately pronounced deceased at the scene.
Sprinkel has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Roanoke, Virginia for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Richard J. Sprinkel was being held in the Botetourt-Craig Regional Jail for violation of a protective order, domestic assault, and possession of a firearm while subject to a protective order.
As part of our standard procedures, deputies conduct routine checks of all inmates twice per hour to ensure their safety and well-being. An investigation into the incident is being conducted. No foul play is suspected, and Sprinkel was being held in the intake unit, pending classification. No
other inmates were housed in the secure cell at the time of the incident. The entire event was captured on the facility’s video surveillance system and is being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation. As is our standard practice, the Virginia State Police and the Commonwealth’s
Attorney have been asked to conduct an independent review of the investigation.
