Inmate dies 4 days after being found unresponsive in cell, sheriff says

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — James Richard Horton, age 44, an inmate at the Lancaster County Detention Center, died Thursday after he was found unresponsive four days earlier in his cell, the sheriff said.

He was found at about 7 p.m. Sunday in his bed in a cell that he shared with two inmates.

EMS took Horton to a medical facility where he was treated and cared for before he died.

Inmates were temporarily out of their cells during the cleaning of the cell block when Horton was discovered.

Other inmates did not report anything to staff about Horton having a medical emergency.

He didn’t appear to have been physically injured and there weren’t any signs of an assault, the Lancaster County sheriff said in a news release.

Inmates were moved out of the cell block Sunday, and it was secured.

Sheriff Barry Faile requested that the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division investigate the death.

The cause of Horton’s medical condition is unknown, and the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office is scheduling an autopsy.

“Our prayers and condolences are extended to Mr. Horton’s family and friends,” said Faile. “We want to know what produced Mr. Horton’s medical condition. Since this incident occurred in our facility, we requested that SLED conduct a thorough and complete investigation, and we will cooperate fully with the investigation. We trust that SLED and the coroner will be able to provide answers when their investigations are complete.”

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