Fort Worth man, 44, dies in his Tarrant County jail cell; foul play not suspected
A 44-year-old man died in the Tarrant County jail on Jan. 9, according to the sheriff’s office.
That Tarrant County medical examiner and a family member identified the man as Russell Qualls of Fort Worth. He was booked into the jail on a murder charge in April 2023, in the fatal shooting of a 46-year-old man near a South Freeway motel.
Qualls died in his sleep at approximately 11 a.m. after experiencing a medical emergency, the sheriff’s office said. He was in a single cell and there were no signs of foul play, the office said.
Qualls’ cousin, Yolanda Qualls, said she found out about Russell’s death through their cousin, Carlus Qualls, who is also in the jail on a murder charge.
Yolanda said she and Russell were raised together because his mother died during the birth and her mother adopted him.
“We were raised as brother and sister, but by blood, we’re actually cousins,” Yolanda said.
The medical examiner’s office has not yet ruled on the cause of death, and results of an autopsy are pending.
There have been 60 deaths of people in custody of the jail since 2018. There were 10 last year.
This story was originally published January 12, 2024 at 2:12 PM.
