Inmate found dead at Mississippi prison

MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) — An inmate was found dead inside his cell at a Mississippi prison, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of the state’s capitol, authorities said Friday.

This is the third death this month at the East Mississippi Correctional facility in Meridian.

Emily Lawhead, a spokesperson for Management and Training Corporation, which manages the facility, said Clarence Gillie, 59, was found unresponsive in his cell on Thursday.

“Facility medical staff responded immediately, performing emergency medical procedures,” Lawhead said in a statement. “Local emergency medical services arrived and declared Gillie deceased.”

The man’s death is under investigation, Lawhead said. A cause of death is pending the outcome of an autopsy but foul play was not suspected, she added.

Lawhead referred questions about why Gillie was in custody to the state Department of Corrections, which did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Friday.