December 20, 2025

WAYMART: A federal inmate was found dead Friday at United States Penitentiary Canaan in Wayne County, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Officials stated that Robert James Turner, 57, was found unresponsive at the facility shortly after 4:00 p.m. Turner was pronounced deceased by EMS a short time later.

The Department of Justice reported that no employees or other incarcerated individuals were injured. The cause of death has not been determined but an autopsy is scheduled.

Turner was serving a life sentence for first degree murder. Court records show he was convicted in 1997 for the 1995 stabbing death of fellow inmate Joseph Daniels while incarcerated in Washington, D.C. Turner was also convicted of possession of a shank.

Turner had been housed at USP Canaan since March 17.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified.