Officials have not released a cause of death, and an autopsy timeline is now a point of dispute.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — The daughter of a man who died while in custody at Dade Correctional Institution says her family is still waiting for clear information about how he died, as state and local agencies keep key details private while an investigation unfolds.
The death has drawn attention because the Florida City-area prison has faced scrutiny in recent months, including arrests of correctional officers in a separate case. Now, relatives of 58-year-old Ariel Munoz Gutierrez say they are struggling to get basic facts, including when they will see autopsy results and which agency is leading the response.
Imaris Munoz said she learned her father had died on Wed., Feb. 4, and she said the news came with few details. She described him as active and “very fit” while serving his current sentence, and she said she did not expect a sudden death behind prison walls. “It just hurts because I’m never gonna see my father again,” Munoz said in an interview with Local 10 News. She said the family initially believed it would receive autopsy findings by Fri., Feb. 6, but she said that expectation changed after what she described as repeated delays and shifting explanations.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Gutierrez died at 5:42 a.m. on Feb. 4 and said his closest family member was notified. Online jail records later listed his release date as deceased. Beyond that, authorities have not publicly described what happened in the hours before he died or whether he had been seen by medical staff. Munoz said she believes corrections officers were responsible for his death and said she wants an explanation that matches the facts. “They treat animals better than they treat those inmates, and that’s not fair,” she said.
Investigators were seen at the facility on Fri. night, Feb. 6, when Miami-Dade sheriff’s crime scene investigators arrived at Dade Correctional Institution. When asked why the team was there, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office directed questions to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. FDLE did not respond to requests for comment reported by Local 10 News. The silence has left the family trying to understand what “unclassified death” means in this case and what steps, if any, are required before more information becomes public.
The prison, located in the Florida City area of Miami-Dade County, has already been in the spotlight. In August 2025, a judge issued arrest warrants in a separate case involving seven Florida Department of Corrections employees accused of beating an inmate and trying to cover it up. Investigators in that earlier case said an inmate, Christopher Castro, was assaulted in a cell after he was moved to an area without surveillance cameras, and records outlined allegations that staff tried to hide injuries and clean up blood. State corrections officials said at the time that staff members tied to that case were dismissed as quickly as administrative rules allowed.
In the current death, officials have released only a limited public picture of Gutierrez. Local 10 reported he was serving an 11-year sentence and that his most recent conviction stemmed from 2019 burglary and grand theft charges. The station also reported he had spent years in and out of prison. His daughter said his death has left three grandchildren without their grandfather. “He has a family, he has a daughter, he has grandkids,” Munoz said, describing the loss as more than a statistic in a jail log.
Key procedural steps are still pending. Munoz said officials told her the autopsy would not be ready for four to six weeks, a timeline she said came after she expected results much sooner. Medical examiner investigations can take time, especially when toxicology testing is needed, but authorities in this case have not explained publicly what testing is underway or whether they are treating the death as a potential crime. FDLE, which often handles criminal investigations involving law enforcement or corrections staff, has not publicly confirmed its role, and no charges have been announced. The lack of a clear lead agency has added to the uncertainty about when a formal statement could be released.
Outside the prison gates, the family has turned to public appeals to keep attention on the case. Munoz said she wants answers and accountability and does not want the death to pass without scrutiny. “I deserve to know the truth and my dad deserves justice,” she said. A GoFundMe page has been created to help cover funeral and memorial expenses, and relatives said they are preparing for services while still waiting for the kind of information that typically shapes a death investigation, including a cause and manner of death.
As of Mon., Feb. 9, officials had not released a cause of death for Gutierrez, and the family said it was still seeking a firm date for autopsy results and a public update on the investigation.
Author note: Last updated February 9, 2026.