The Indiana Department of Correction released information Sunday night that a Wabash Valley Correctional Facility Correctional Officer passed away on Saturday, April 25 due to COVID-19 complications.
This was the first death of a state correctional officer as a result of contracting COVID-19.
Gary Weinke, 67, began his career as a Stores Clerk in the Commissary Department in March of 2007. He transferred to custody, then to a relief officer, and then worked the pod in the Special Confinement Unit. According to the Indiana Department of Correction, it was reported to officials that after his last working day on March 29, he had symptoms of the virus and later tested positive for COVID-19.
His wife is also a correctional officer at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility.
The report states that the Weinke family expressed their appreciation for the support received from the Department of Correction, the local community, and close friends. They also expressed their desire to mourn their loss in privacy.
