Employee Found Dead at Tuscaloosa’s DCH, No Foul Play Suspected

Police say there is no evidence of foul play or criminal activity after a worker at Tuscaloosa's DCH Regional Medical Center was found dead at the hospital on Monday.

Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said the hospital contacted the Tuscaloosa Police Department on Monday about finding the body of an employee at their work area.

The Violent Crimes Unit is a team comprised of detectives from the Tuscaloosa, Northport, and University of Alabama Police Departments and the County Sheriff's Office. They forego jurisdictional boundaries and investigate almost all local deaths, as well as assault cases and sex crimes. Their involvement in a death case does not necessarily indicate suspicion of foul play.

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They began an investigation because the cause of death was unknown and Kennedy said there are no signs of criminal activity or foul play.

"Preliminary findings from the medical examiner are that the deceased passed away from a medical issue," Kennedy said. "It is the usual practice of the Violent Crimes Unit to not comment on non-criminal matters to safeguard the privacy of the victim and family.  There is no reason at this time to believe that this was a criminal matter, or that there is any danger to the hospital."

"We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our own, found unresponsive Monday morning," a spokesperson for DCH told the Thread. "Our deepest condolences go out to the employee’s family, and the care teams that were most closely affected."

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