A Greenbush woman found unresponsive in her cell at the Penobscot County Jail last month died of acute intoxication from two medications found in her system, officials said.
Jennifer Dyer, 37, died of an overdose “from the combined effects of buprenorphine and alprazolam,” and her death was ruled accidental, Mark Belserene, administrator in the state medical examiner’s office, confirmed in an email Thursday.
Dyer was found to have trace amounts of buprenorphine and alprazolam in her bloodstream, Belserene said. Buprenorphine is a physician-prescribed medication used to treat opioid addiction. Alprazolam, also known as Xanax, is often used to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
Correctional officers and Bangor Rescue services tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate Dyer, who was found unresponsive in her cell in the early morning hours on Sunday, June 10. She had been brought to the jail the day before on two outstanding warrants.
Penobscot County Sheriff Troy Morton said Dyer’s death is the first at the jail in more than a decade, but he declined to comment on the medical examiner’s report, citing his department’s ongoing investigation.
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