PORTLAND, Ore. -- Two Multnomah County inmates died from medical problems not properly treated by nurses working at the jail, according to an investigation by the county district attorney's office.

In one case, the prosecutor's office has charged a former jail nurse with falsifying the medical records of Jody Norman, who died in his cell three years ago.

William Lee James is no longer licensed to work as a nurse in Oregon, but is a registered nurse in California, though his license is being evaluated by the state board there, The Oregonian newspaper reported.

Norman had a history of heart trouble and complained of chest pains after arriving at the jail, the investigation found.

James didn't call a doctor as jail procedure requires. Instead, the nurse allegedly falsified forms to make it look as if a doctor had authorized him to issue prescription medication to Norman, according to records from the Oregon State Board of Nursing.

Norman died several hours later from complications of his heart condition. The district attorney's office didn't know about Norman's death until several months ago through the nursing board.

In the second death, which occurred in January, 36-year-old Holly Jean Casey said she had pneumonia as deputies took her to jail.

During her booking for theft, the transient explained that removal of her spleen impaired her immune system. Once in her cell, she said she had difficulty breathing. At 11 p.m. a nurse gave her an inhaler and told her to call for help if the problem worsened.

But no one came when Casey called, the investigation found. A deputy later saw Casey on the floor of her cell during his regular rounds, but assumed she was asleep. By the time another deputy entered the cell at 7:30 a.m., Casey had died of pneumonia.

The district attorney's office declined to press charges, saying it was difficult to prove criminal liability by any one person. That decision disappointed Casey's aunt, Shannon Calhoun, who told The Oregonian the family has gotten a lawyer.

"We feel like there was negligence there," Calhoun said Thursday. "We're not going to drop it."