Autopsy finds Napa County jail inmate died from drug overdose

An investigation into the death of a 44-year-old inmate at the Napa County Jail last month revealed he died from a methamphetamine overdose after an autopsy discovered two plastic bags of the drug in his system, authorities said Tuesday.

Inmate Christopher Applegarth’s body absorbed a lethal dose of the drug after one of the bags in is digestive tract began leaking, said Capt. Steven Blower of the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.

Applegarth, a known drug addict in the Napa area, had been in and out of the county jail system since 1989 on suspicion of various violent crimes and some drug offenses, Blower said.

Officers performed CPR while they alerted nursing staff and requested an ambulance, continuing efforts until emergency medical personnel arrived.