Mickell Close, a 44-year-old incarcerated individual, was found unresponsive at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Thomson in Thomson, Illinois on March 5 at approximately 2:25 p.m., according to an announcement from the Bureau of Prisons.
Responding employees initiated life-saving measures and requested emergency medical services while efforts continued. Close was transported by EMS to a local hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital personnel.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified following the incident. The Bureau of Prisons said that no employees or other incarcerated individuals were injured and that at no time was the public in danger.
Close had been serving a 300-month sentence imposed in the Southern District of Ohio for using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing or transmitting a visual depiction of such conduct. He had been in custody at FCI Thomson since May 28, 2025. FCI Thomson is described as a low security facility.
Additional information about the Federal Bureau of Prisons can be found at www.bop.gov, according to the official roster page.
