Skip to Content
CNN - Regional

No criminal negligence in death of inmate found unresponsive, DA says

By
Published 10:37 AM

By Denise Pridgen

Click here for updates on this story

    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams has determined there is no criminal negligence by jail staff in the death of an inmate last fall.

Jesse Lee Owenby was found unresponsive on the floor of his Buncombe County Detention Facility cell Oct. 30, 2021. Jail staff and EMS attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful. Owenby was pronounced dead before being transported by EMS.

The SBI investigated and turned its findings over to Williams last month.

After reviewing the report and consulting with the state medical examiner’s office, Williams found no evidence of negligence or reckless acts by jail staff.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - Regional

Jump to comments ↓

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

ABC 17 News is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content