Deputies: Inmate dies by apparent suicide at Bibb County Jail

UPDATE: Wesley Kyle Gautney, 41, was recognized by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office as the inmate who passed away on Monday night. Gautney was being detained at the jail on three counts of possession of prohibited narcotics, according to deputies.

THE FIRST STORY:

Georgia’s MACON (41NBC/WMGT) The death of an inmate who was discovered unconscious in his cell at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center on Monday night is being investigated by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

Corrections deputies discovered the convict shortly before 8 p.m., the sheriff’s office said in a news release. According to the release, the inmate had hanged himself based on the conditions in the cell.

Until EMS arrived, deputies tried life-saving procedures, according to the sheriff’s office. The report stated that once the detainee was brought to a hospital, hospital personnel declared him dead.

According to the announcement, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office of Professional Standards’ Internal Affairs Investigators are handling the matter and will perform an autopsy. Until the family is informed, the inmate’s name is being kept secret.

According to Macon-Bibb Coroner Leon Jones, the inmate was declared deceased at Atrium Health Navicent at 9:07 p.m.

According to the release, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office offers its condolences to the deceased’s family and everyone impacted by his passing.

At the Bibb County Jail, this is the most recent in a string of grave incidents. Several prisoners have passed away while in detention in recent years. In a recent report, a Bibb County grand jury cited issues with violence, overcrowding, and staffing shortages to characterize the facility as hazardous and inhumane. Recently, county officials announced reform initiatives, including plans to replace or repair the outdated building.