A woman who was found dead in her cell at the Westmoreland County Prison in October died from asphyxiation due to hanging, according to a ruling from the county coroner’s office.
Amber Knepshield’s death was deemed a suicide, chief deputy coroner Ken Bacha said Tuesday.
Knepshield, 32, was pronounced dead at 12:22 a.m. Oct. 3.
According to court records, Knepshield was charged by New Kensington police in early 2025 with drug-related offenses and was jailed Sept. 26, where she was held in lieu of bonds totaling $60,000.
Her death was the second in a year involving an inmate at the Hempfield lockup and the third since 2023. There was another death by suicide in 2024 and a man died from a drug overdose in 2023 after ingesting fentanyl that was smuggled in.