MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) said an investigation is underway after an inmate was found unresponsive in his cell and later died at the hospital Friday morning.
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office identified the inmate as Kevin B. Wright, who was on trial this week facing multiple felony charges. He was accused of abducting and shooting a woman last summer after killing a man at her home.
The SCSO said Wright was found unresponsive about 7 a.m. May 31, 2024, in his cell at the Shelby County Jail at 201 Poplar. They said corrections deputies began life-saving measures and the Memphis Fire responders took Wright to Methodist University Hospital, where he later died.
According to the D.A.'s office, Wright was found hanging in his cell.
The SCSO said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) was contacted and is handling the investigation.