Crime & Safety
"Preliminary" Cause of Death Determined For Inmate Found Dead
A deputy was performing cell checks on Jan. 11 when he discovered Richard James Sheriff, 61, "hanging from a bed sheet" in his cell.
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Canton, GA -- The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has released the initial findings of an autopsy conducted on the inmate who died after he was founding hanging in his Cherokee County jail cell.
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“Preliminary findings” indicate the cause of death for Richard James Sheriff, 61, was suicide, said GBI spokesperson Scott Duncan.
A Cherokee Sheriff’s Office deputy conducting cell checks on Jan. 11 found Sheriff “hanging from a bed sheet from a bed in his cell,” sheriff’s office spokesperson Lt. Jay Baker previously told Patch.
Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The sheet was removed, and the deputy began performing life-saving measures on Sheriff. The 61-year-old was transported to Northside Hospital-Cherokee where he was later pronounced dead.
Sheriff was being held at the jail without bond on aggravated assault charges in connection to the Jan. 2 stabbing of his roommate, the sheriff’s office said.
The GBI continues to investigate the case.
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Image via Cherokee County Adult Detention Center
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