Coquille man dies in prison, death suspicious

Story Published: May 13, 2008 at 11:34 PM PDT

By Tim Novotny

ONTARIO - The Oregon Department of Corrections says a Coquille man, sentenced in Coos County back in 2002, is the inmate that was found dead in his cell on Monday.

The Oregon State Police and the Malheur County District Attorney are continuing their investigation in the death that has been deemed "suspicious."

James Ivan Briggs, 61, had been at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario since early 2003. He was scheduled for release in 2026.

Briggs had been convicted of Sodomy, Unlawful Sexual Penetration and Sex Abuse, all involving a juvenile female. The charges came following a six-month investigation by the Coos County Sheriff's Office, Child Protective Services and the Coquille Police Department.

His body was found just before 7:00 a.m. on Monday, with an autopsy scheduled for Wednesday.

Briggs is the third inmate with Coos County ties to die in prison in the past six months. The previous two were ruled to have died at their own hand.

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