VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — An inmate at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center died by suicide Sunday evening, the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office confirms.

On April 6, 2025 at 6:03 p.m., 38-year-old Michael “Norah” Horwitz of Virginia Beach was found unresponsive by a deputy sheriff conducting a routine security check. The deputy immediately called medical staff who responded and started CPR while 911 was called. Despite medical attention, medics declared Horwitz deceased at 6:42 p.m.

Horwitz was booked into the Virginia Beach Correctional Center on June 3, 2023, on charges of second-degree murder and assault after being accused of stabbing to death her father, Virginia Beach dentist Dr. Abbey Horwitz. She was denied bond by a magistrate and received a full medical and mental health screening by jail medical staff, the sheriff’s office said.

The incident is being investigated by the Virginia Beach Police Department and Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. The incident has also been reported to the Virginia Department of Corrections, which reviews all in-custody deaths.

The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Norfolk will determine the official cause and manner of death.

Sheriff Rocky Holcomb personally notified Horwitz’s next of kin.

“Any death in custody is a tragedy,” Holcomb said. “The investigation and review of our suicide-prevention policies have begun to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect the people entrusted to our care. We take this issue seriously and are always looking for ways to improve. Our deputies work hard to protect the inmate population every day and frequently intervene to prevent self-harm, but one of our biggest challenges is often protecting vulnerable people from themselves.”

The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office said it screens all inmates for mental illness, history of depression and suicidal tendencies.

A couple days after Horwitz was taken into custody in 2023, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed Horwitz was under suicide watch. Horwitz was being housed with male inmates. VBSO said at the time, “We are legally required to house male and female inmates separately, based on their biological sex. The security of the facility and the safety and welfare of the inmate are our primary considerations when determining where they should be housed. We use an objective screening instrument to determine housing, which evaluates numerous criteria, including the person’s physical build, whether they have been a victim of sexual abuse, their own perception of their vulnerability, and whether they are or appear to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or gender nonconforming.”