Medical condition caused death of sex offender, report shows
By Patricia Breakey
Delhi News Bureau
DELHI — A Level 3 sex offender who was an inmate at the Delaware County jail died Monday as he was being rushed to O’Connor Hospital in Delhi, Delaware County Undersheriff Douglas Vredenburgh said.
Christopher Vass, 33, was a resident of the Delaware County sex offender halfway house when he violated his parole and was arrested May 17, Vredenburgh said.
Vredenburgh said preliminary results of an autopsy performed Tuesday indicated that Vass died of complications from a medical condition involving his pancreas.
Vass became ill in jail and was taken to O’Connor Hospital in Delhi on June 7. He was transferred to Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown on June 8.
Vredenburgh said Vass was released from Bassett and returned to the Delaware County jail between 3 and 4 p.m. Monday.
Vredenburgh said Vass was a very large man who sometimes experienced breathing difficulties but added "it was obvious he still didn’t feel well, so we held him in the booking area and didn’t put him back in the general population in the jail."
Vredenburgh said the jail has a contract for medical services through O’Connor Hospital. He said Dr. David Williams from Bassett Healthcare was in the facility and knew about Vass’ condition.
"He was in an area that is manned 24 hours a day, and he was being constantly monitored," Vredenburgh said.
At about 7:30 p.m., Vredenburgh said, Vass was suddenly in serious trouble. Communications Officer Gerald "Gary" DuBois began CPR, and a call was made to 911 at 7:34 p.m.
The Delhi Ambulance Squad arrived within six minutes and continued CPR on the way to the hospital, but Vass died shortly thereafter.
"I did what I could do," DuBois said. "It just wasn’t enough."
Vredenburgh said DuBois reacted instantly to the emergency and is to be commended for his actions.
Karen Huxtable, Bassett spokeswoman, said she could not comment about Vass’ release from the hospital because patient information is confidential.
Vass’ mother, Betty Vass of Hobart, said she was very upset and expected an explanation from the hospital and the jail about her son’s death but had no other comment.
Scott Steinhardt, a state Division of Parole spokesman, said Vass received a conditional release from prison April 30, 2004. He had completed 6/7ths of his prison sentence and had not lost any time for good behavior. Steinhardt added that Vass would have been under the parole supervision until April 30, 2007.
"When they are under parole supervision, we are in their lives and their homes constantly," Steinhardt said.
During a routine home visit May 17, Vass’ parole officer did a search of the sex offender cabin with Vass’ consent, Steinhardt said. The parole officer found a debit card, which Vass was not allowed to have under his parole conditions. During a subsequent interview, Vass also admitted taking extra doses of a controlled substance that was prescribed for him, which was a second parole violation.
In New York state, sex offenders are assigned one of three risk levels. The risk level governs the amount and type of information that can be released as community notification. The levels are: Level 1 — low risk of repeat offense; Level 2 — moderate risk of repeat offense; and Level 3 — high risk of repeat offense and a threat to public safety.
