Death of Rush City inmate Stephen Washington under investigation

RUSH CITY, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) continues to investigate the Oct. 9 death of Stephen Washington in the Rush City prison, after Washington and his cellmate were involved in a "dispute that ultimately turned violent."

DOC officials have not said how exactly Washington died, and have not released the identity of the cellmate, who hasn't been charged with any crime to this point. According to a DOC spokesperson, Washington and the cellmate had just become roommates on the morning of Oct. 9. Following Washington's death, the cellmate was transferred to a maximum-security facility in Oak Park Heights and remains separated from the rest of the prison population.

The cellmate was described by a DOC spokesperson as a "suspect or subject of the investigation in thi