RELATED STORIES
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a tragic incident that occurred at the Leon County Detention Facility, where a second inmate has passed away within three days. The latest victim, identified as 26-year-old John Russo, was found unresponsive in his cell in the early hours of Monday morning.
According to reports from the law enforcement agency, a correctional officer discovered Russo in his single-cell protective custody pod around 1:30 a.m. Unfortunately, despite efforts to revive him, he could not be saved.
LCSO Spokesperson Shonda Knight has stated that while Russo was alone in his cell, due to the ongoing investigation, no further details can be provided at this time. It remains unclear whether there were any signs of self-harm.
The Violent Crimes Unit of LCSO, along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, are currently conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Russo’s death. The Leon County Medical Examiner’s Office will also perform an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.
This recent incident comes just days after another inmate was found unresponsive in her cell shortly after being transferred from a local hospital to the detention facility. She had been arrested for inhaling/ingesting harmful substances and failing to appear on drug-related charges.
Prior to these tragic occurrences, the last reported inmate death at the facility took place in February of the previous year. In that instance, a 25-year-old man was pronounced dead at a local hospital after being discovered unresponsive in his cell. The sheriff’s office confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
In a shocking turn of events in 2022, three inmates tragically took their own lives while in custody at the jail, marking the first time in 27 years that such incidents had occurred within a single year.
For more information on this developing story, please contact breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon County Sheriff investigates second inmate death in three days
.