Prison officials say inmate appears to have killed himself

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) - Prison officials say an inmate appears to have killed himself at a south Georgia facility.

The Department of Corrections said in a news release Wednesday that prison officers found David Cordova unresponsive in his cell at Valdosta State Prison at around 4:55 p.m. Tuesday.

The release says prison medical staff and emergency responders tried unsuccessfully to revive Cordova. The Lowndes County Coroner pronounced him dead at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The Department of Corrections is investigating the death, which is standard procedure when an inmate dies in custody.

Cordova had been sentenced in 1999 to serve life in prison without parole. He had been convicted in Long County on charges of murder, kidnapping and armed robbery.