CEDAR CITY — An inmate found dead in his cell at Iron County Jail on Wednesday was a former Olympic skier.
Jeremy Nobis, 52, was found alone and unresponsive in his cell early Wednesday morning, according to a news release issued by the Iron/Garfield/Beaver Critical Incident Task Force.
“Life-saving efforts were attempted by Iron County Jail staff,” according to the statement, which noted Nobis was pronounced dead at the jail.
Family members have been notified of his death, authorities said.
“Although no foul play is suspected, this incident is being investigated by the Critical Incident Task Force,” the news release said.
Utah court records show that Nobis was arrested in Iron County for DUI four years ago, on March 25, 2019, following a rollover crash on Interstate 15 near mile marker 42. According to the probable cause statement filed in support of Nobis’ arrest, his blood alcohol level was measured at 0.42, or more than eight times Utah’s legal limit. He was released from jail three days later.
In August 2021, after Nobis failed to appear via videoconference in connection with the case, an arrest warrant was issued. He was brought back into the custody of Iron County Jail on Feb. 11, 2023, and had been incarcerated since that time.
His case appeared to be nearing a resolution, with Nobis making an initial appearance in 5th District Court in mid-February and then entering a guilty plea to a single count of DUI, a third-degree felony, on March 7. He was scheduled for sentencing on April 25.
According to a Ski Magazine article published on Jan. 4, Nobis either had faced or was also facing similar charges in other states, including Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming.
The article also notes that Nobis was an accomplished skier who first made the U.S. Ski Team at age 16. He raced slalom and giant slalom on the World Cup tour and also competed in the 1994 Olympic Winter Games staged in Lillehammer, Norway.
In mid-August, after the state Office of the Medical Examiner’s investigations had been completed, Iron County public information officer Trajan Evans confirmed to Cedar City News that Nobis’s death was ruled a suicide.
Evans noted that the jail has mental health counseling available for inmates through Southwest Behavioral Health.
“If an inmate is deemed a suicide risk, then he or she will be placed on suicide watch and they are monitored every 15 minutes and are given restricted access to even more items than what they normally would have, Evans added. “Of course, if someone is not on watch, then it is harder to predict and protect them if they choose to commit suicide.”
Updated Oct. 26, 11:45 a.m. to include the state medical examiner’s determination and additional information about available mental health resources at the jail.
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