Andrew Ortega
Andrew Ortega, 44, was a Chicago native whose mother, Janet Ortega, remembers him as a jokester and a social butterfly who got along with everyone. He died on August 26, 2024, in his cell at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Brown County, Illinois, after he missed breakfast and guards found him. The Brown County coroner ruled his death a homicide, saying he was strangled overnight with an undershirt or tank top strap used as a ligature. His cellmate, Joshua Miner, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced in August 2025. The family disputes how he came to share a cell with that person and asks why the prison housed him there.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). The Brown County coroner ruled Ortega was strangled by his cellmate, and prosecutors charged the cellmate with first-degree murder; his family says the prison should not have housed him with that cellmate.
Reported by: Brown County coroner Justin Oliver (medical examiner or coroner); Brown County State's Attorney (court); Illinois Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); ABC 7 I-Team investigation records (reporters); Ortega's family (family or their lawyers); Petition by supporters (advocates).
News reports (7)
- Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Death in Custody Reports (edition of 2026-07-28)
- Andrew Ortega found dead in Western Illinois Correctional Center cell with 'Nightmare on Hickory Street' killer Joshua Miner
- Justice for Andrew A. "Andy" Ortega - People-Powered Progress
- Joliet 'Hickory Street Killer' Joshua Miner faces new murder charges after Andrew Ortega found dead in his prison cell
- Convicted murderer gets second life sentence for strangulation death in western Illinois prison
- 'Hickory Street Killer' Joshua Miner sentenced to life for killing cellmate Andrew Ortega at Western Illinois Correctional Center
- Joliet's Nightmare On Hickory Street Killer Continues Ending Lives, Even Inside His Illinois Prison Cell