Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 21, 1995 TAG: 9511210094
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Ronell F. Mason of Bluefield died Sept. 18 during his first day of physical conditioning at the Southampton Intensive Treatment Center. A preliminary autopsy found the cause of death to be an irregular heart rhythm, according to Amy Miller, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections. Further tests by the medical examiner's office in Norfolk determined that Mason had suffered an "acute sickling crisis."
An official with the medical examiner's office said sickle cell anemia contributed to Mason's death but declined to elaborate.
Other medical experts said sickle cell anemia, which causes a deficiency of oxygen in the blood cells, can be complicated by rigorous physical exercise.
It was not clear Monday whether Mason had been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia before he entered the boot camp.
Mason passed a routine medical screening before he was accepted into the program, Miller said, and he received a second physical exam before starting activities Sept. 18.
"It seems to be one of those fluke things that occasionally happens to young people," she said.
Rodney McNair of Roanoke, who was at the boot camp and saw Mason just before he died, said Monday that he and other "probates" were forced to do push-ups to the point of exhaustion.
"You do so many push-ups to where your arms are shaking and you fall out on the ground," McNair said in a telephone interview from the Roanoke City Jail.
An internal review of Mason's death by the Department of Corrections found no violations of procedures at the boot camp, Miller said. No changes have been made to the program, which puts young, non-violent offenders through three months of military-style discipline, physical training and a rigorous work schedule as an alternative to prison.
Mason was convicted of cocaine distribution in Tazewell County Circuit Court and sentenced to 40 years in prison. But a judge suspended the sentence on condition that he complete boot camp, Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Dennis said.
Mason complained of not feeling well after completing "routine physical training" after arriving at the facility the morning of Sept. 18, Miller said. On the first day of camp, also known as "intake," drill inspectors often order offenders to do push-ups as part of their introduction to the program.
Mason was examined by a nurse, Miller said, and was told to rest. He then moved to another part of the facility, where he was found unconscious with no vital signs minutes later.
He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Miller said the Department of Corrections did not release any information at the time, but she confirmed Mason's death Monday after being contacted by The Roanoke Times.
Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary blood disease that affects blacks. Dr. William Massello, assistant deputy chief medical examiner for Western Virginia, said it is characterized by an abnormality in the hemoglobin, the molecule that carries oxygen in the blood cells.
When someone with sickle cell anemia is subjected to physical exertion, Massello said, the oxygen content in the blood drops, which could lead to difficulty in breathing, loss of consciousness and, in some cases, death.
McNair, who was sent to the camp after being convicted of distributing cocaine in Roanoke, said he, Mason and about six other probates were ordered to do push-ups on the first day of the program.
After being taken inside to have his hair cut, McNair said, he returned to see Mason sitting with his back against a wall. He appeared to be having difficulty breathing.
"It looked like something was wrong with him," he said.
Court records show McNair was kicked out of boot camp by an internal committee for a number of disciplinary infractions, including using obscene language in talking back to drill inspectors.
But McNair said he "terminated himself" from the program, in part because of concerns over Mason's death. "I didn't want to have the same thing happen to me," he said.
Although Mason passed medical screening and was allowed into the, it is not unusual for offenders to be excluded for medical reasons. A 1994 evaluation of the boot camp by the Department of Corrections indicates about a fourth of those who enter are terminated during the 90-day program - about 40 percent due to medical or psychological reasons
Details of Mason's medical condition were not available Monday. His attorney, Jack Hurley of Bluefield, could not be reached for comment.
The boot camp program at Southampton has been in operation since 1991. It recently celebrated the graduation of its 1,000th probate, noting in a press release that "the rigor and intensity of the program provides a true challenge to its participants."
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB