Man who died in Northern California jail identified by El Dorado County coroner

A man pronounced dead at a Northern California jail last week has been identified by the El Dorado County Coroner’s Office.

Brandon Canfield, 50, was found unresponsive Friday by corrections staff at a jail cell in South Lake Tahoe, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. He was pronounced dead shortly after, deputies said.

Canfield faced a felony assault charge for an incident that happened Aug. 31, according to online court records. The assault charge had special allegations of great bodily injury and prior felony convictions, El Dorado Superior Court records show. He entered a not guilty plea Sept. 24 at his initial arraignment.

He had been scheduled to appear for his trial Dec. 10 prior to his death. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating Canfield’s death.

This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 12:54 PM.