Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: An inmate was found deceased at the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on Saturday. A week prior, an inmate at the Greenlee County Jail was found hanged to death.
By Jon Johnson
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
GRAHAM AND GREENLEE COUNTIES – Two inmates have reportedly died in custody at the Graham County Adult Detention Facility and Greenlee County Jail, roughly one week apart.
According to a press release from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday, Oct. 20, inmate Luis Carlos López Jr., 21, of Safford, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Graham County Adult Detention Facility at about 6:50 a.m.
Paramedics from Lifeline Ambulance arrived and transported López to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. López was in jail on a felony warrant and was arrested and booked the previous day.
The Graham County Sheriff’s Office is currently conducting a death investigation. Lopez was previously arrested in August and charged with dealing methamphetamine.
Greenlee County Jail death
An inmate at the Greenlee County Jail was reportedly found deceased Friday, Oct. 12, however, the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office has not turned in any reports regarding the death or released any information as of Monday, Oct. 22.
The inmate reportedly hung himself somehow and it is unknown how long he was in that state prior to being located. The inmate’s family was notified of the death, but instead of releasing public information, the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office reportedly issued a gag order, informing all of its employees that they were to remain silent about what happened at the jail.
Both Sheriffs’ offices are tasked with inmate safety while they are in custody at the jail, and most inmates at the jails have only been accused of crimes and are awaiting adjudication.
