Mississippi detainee found dead in county jail holding cell

Published 2:57 pm Thursday, April 25, 2024

A Mississippi man has died after being found unresponsive in a holding cell in the Lincoln County Jail.

Sheriff Steve Rushing said that at approximately 6:28 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, jailers noticed a man in a holding cell who appeared to be unconscious.

They entered the cell and found Johnathon Neal unresponsive.

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Staff notified 911 and an ambulance responded to the jail while jailers attempted life-saving measures. Neal did not respond to treatment and was declared dead at the scene.

No other persons were in the cell with Neal at the time of the incident, Rushing said.

Neal, age 46, was being held on a probation violation warrant from Lawrence County for the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

“As a matter of procedure, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations was notified and will handle the investigation,” said Rushing. “Any further information release will be referred to MBI.”