Photo by: Dan Hall/Daily News Express
Authorities in Monroe County released new information about the death of an inmate that is under investigation by the state.
The sheriff's office said the inmate belonged to private transport agency that was hired to move prisoners, and the body was discovered inside the agency's van after it arrived to move another inmate out of the Monroe County facility.
The sheriff's office says the inmate who passed away was never associated with the jail, only with the private transport agency.
The case has been referred to the TBI. The inmate has not been identified.
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A lot of questions remain unanswered in the case of an inmate death at the Monroe County Jail.
Emergency crews responded to the facility in Madisonville Wednesday around 6:20 p.m. Now, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations confirms to 10News that they are investigating the incident.
TBI spokesperson, Kristin Helm, said the Monroe County District Attorney requested their involvement in the case. Helm confirmed the inmate was found deceased inside of a transport van. The inmate was being transported from Florida to Ohio on warrants and is believed to have died in Georgia.
A photo taken by Daily News Express reporter Dan Hill at the scene shows the side of a white van in front of an ambulance parked behind the jail. That is the van where the inmate was found deceased.
TBI has not yet identified the inmate or the circumstances that contributed to his death. Helm said an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
10News called the Monroe County Jail for comment on Thursday night. The person who answered the phone said to contact TBI.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into the death of an inmate at the Monroe County jail.
Authorities say the man was found dead Wednesday night in the back of a transport van.
TBI has not released the man's name or the circumstances of his death.
The Monroe County District Attorney General requested that TBI launch an investigation into the incident.