Tarrant County inmate dies of COVID-19, the second in-custody death this week
A man in the custody of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office has died from the coronavirus, marking the second inmate death the agency has reported this week.
Though the sheriff’s office didn’t release the man’s name on Friday, a death report from Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Office identifies him as Dextouri Loaymayant Williams, 48. His death was deemed natural, caused by COVID-19 and pulmonary hypotension. The report notes he developed the illness that caused his death after his admission into jail.
He died on Wednesday inside John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
In total, 14 inmates have died in 2020 in the custody of the agency, including two who died within a week in November, and the two who died this week.
The sheriff’s office announced on Wednesday a person had died at JPS on Monday, but did not release the person’s identity. A death report from the attorney general’s office identifies the deceased as Nancy Lynn Nielsen, 56. Her cause of death was stage IV cancer, according to the report.
The Texas Rangers are investigating both deaths reported this week, and the sheriff’s office said any questions should be directed to its officials.
The Texas Rangers said in a statement on Friday, “The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is currently available.”
Of the 14 deaths of Tarrant County inmates announced this year, authorities haven’t released a cause in six cases. Seven deaths were due to natural causes, including three caused by COVID-19. One was a suicide.
Nielsen was in custody for a parole violation, according to her death report.
Williams, his report shows, was in custody in connection with manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance between one and four grams. At no point in his arrest did he display or use a weapon, or attempt to injure others, according to the report.
There were 51 inmates and 64 jailers with positive COVID tests as of Thursday, according to data submitted to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. There were a reported 81 jailers testing positive on Dec. 2.
This comes after Sheriff Bill Waybourn said in late November that he had the coronavirus.
