Jail death in Hendersonville under investigation: spokesperson for sheriff; autopsy set
An investigation is underway following a detainee death in the Henderson County jail.
Staff at the detention center in Hendersonville said the death appeared to be from natural causes but declined to give a name saying they were attempting to notify next of kin. A report of the death submitted by the staff to the state was obtained by the Citizen Times. It named the detainee, though the newspaper is withholding that pending notification of relatives.
The detainee was listed as 55-year-old male, who died in the jail at 11:40 p.m. Nov. 4.
Jail staff last checked on him at 11:09 p.m., says the report that is required to be sent within five days of a death by jail staff to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The detention center is staffed by jailers and others employed by Sheriff Lowell Griffin who is responsible for the jail and those held inside.
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Under a section asking "was a medical professional in attendance the time of death," the space for "no" is marked.
The detainee was jailed Sept. 5 on drug-related charges and sentenced on Oct. 25, the report says. It was not immediately clear what the charges were. Court records were unavailable at the time of this story's writing.
According to the report and Jail Administrator Maj. Todd McCrain, staff believes the causes of the death were natural − though such deaths are investigated by the jail inspector with NCDHHS and an autopsy and toxicology tests performed.
"This incident has been reported to the NCDHHS, state jail inspector. Documentation of supervision and medical services will be provided for their review," McCrain said.
"The sheriff’s office has no further comment on this unfortunate incident at this time."
The last Henderson County jail death happened Feb. 16, 2021, according to McCrain, and was found to be of natural causes per an investigation that included a medical examiner's report and autopsy, the major said. McCrain did not respond to a follow-up question about that detainee's name and other details.
Chief Jail Inspector Chris Wood and his supervisor Acting Construction Section Chief Jeff Harms, did not respond to Nov. 6 messages seeking comment. But a spokesperson for the department sent the report of inmate death form.
Jail deaths gained attention in Buncombe County after a Citizen Times investigation found it had the highest fatality rate among the state's biggest detention centers from 2008-2021, a period spanning two sheriff's administrations.
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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Hendersonville jail death under investigation: sheriff's spokesperson
