JACKSON — A state inmate at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler has died, the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) announced in a Tuesday evening news release.
Preston Ray Johnson, 33, was found unresponsive in his cell Tuesday morning. An emergency response team and medical staff immediately responded and EMS was called.
Johnson, MDOC # 177524, was pronounced deceased at 6:30 a.m.
His death appears to be a suicide, based on a preliminary investigation, according to the county coroner. An autopsy is planned, the MDOC noted.
Johnson was convicted of grand larceny twice and fleeing a law enforcement officer in 2019 in Panola County and received a total of nine years and 250 days to serve.
CoreCivic staff immediately notified MDOC of Johnson’s death. An investigation is underway and the facility’s staff and administrators are cooperating fully, MDOC said.
CoreCivic contracts with the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) to house inmates moved from the Mississippi State Penitentiary.
IN THE PHOTO: Pictured is the CoreCivic sign near the entrance to the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler. (Sun-Sentinel file photo by Clay McFerrin)
