Death of Stephen Washington Under Investigation at Rush City Prison – Rush City, MN, October 9, 2025

On October 9, 2025, Stephen Washington, an inmate at the Rush City correctional facility in Minnesota, died following what officials described as a “violent dispute” with his cellmate. According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC), the two men had been assigned to share a cell earlier that same day. The circumstances surrounding the altercation remain unclear, and Washington’s cause of death has not been publicly disclosed. The cellmate, whose name has not been released, was transferred to a maximum-security facility in Oak Park Heights and remains separated from the general prison population.

The DOC’s Office of Special Investigations, in coordination with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, is leading the ongoing investigation. The Chisago County Attorney’s Office will review the findings to determine whether charges will be filed. Family members of Washington, a 40-year-old father of six and graduate of Edison High School in Minneapolis, have publicly demanded greater transparency from the state regarding the details of his death.