Police investigating second death at Murray Center

Marion County Coroner Troy Cannon’s office announced Monday another resident of the Warren G. Murray Developmental Center died over the weekend.

Gary Farris, 56, was pronounced dead at the St. Mary’s Hospital emergency room in Centralia after staff at the facility that houses adults with developmental disabilities found him unresponsive in bed before breakfast Saturday morning.

On March 30, Murray Center resident Todd Clementz, 46, also was pronounced dead at St. Mary’s. A forensic autopsy on Clementz was conducted in Champaign on Saturday, and an autopsy on Farris was conducted Monday afternoon.

The results of the autopsies weren’t available Monday evening.

The Illinois Department of Human Services is investigating both deaths, but the announcement stated there was “no apparent connection between the two Murray Center deaths.” Even though both men were housed in the same unit at the facility, “the two deaths are being investigated separately,” the announcement said.

The police investigation into Clementz’s death was launched Friday. IDHS spokeswoman Jessica Michael said then that two staff members were put on leave after investigators “became concerned about discrepancies in the statements from the employees.”

This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Police investigating second death at Murray Center."