Myron Britt, 71, a Cary man serving life without parole for the 2003 killing of his wife, was found unresponsive in his cell Sunday while in the custody of the North Carolina prison system. He was housed at Nash Correctional Institution, where staff tried to revive him before emergency medical services transported him to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead there around 3 p.m., and prison officials said resuscitation efforts were made before he was moved.
Prison Officials and Ongoing Investigations
According to The News & Observer, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction reported that staff found Britt unresponsive in his cell and that emergency responders took him to a medical facility. The department has described his death as an apparent suicide, and the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death. The Department of Adult Correction, along with a joint probe by the State Bureau of Investigation and the medical examiner's office, has opened inquiries into the circumstances, the paper reports.
Case History and Court Record
Court documents and the state appeals opinion state that Nancy Melton Britt was shot once in the abdomen on Aug. 23, 2003, while at a relative's home in Lumberton, and that officers found no sign of forced entry. Investigators recovered a .25-caliber bullet, and evidence at trial linked the firearm to Myron Britt. Records also show that Britt had taken out roughly $815,000 in life-insurance policies on his wife, including a $400,000 policy in May 2003. He was convicted of first-degree murder in 2009 and sentenced to life without parole, a conviction the appeals court later upheld, according to Justia.
Long Trial Timeline
The case drew extensive local attention over many years. An earlier jury deadlocked in 2006, leading to a mistrial, before Britt was retried and convicted in 2009. His appeals were largely unsuccessful. Those pretrial and trial developments were covered at the time by local outlets, including WRAL. Throughout the process, Britt maintained his innocence and challenged aspects of the forensic evidence in his appeals.
What Comes Next in the Prison Death Probe
The prison system has said staff attempted to save Britt and that emergency medical services transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will issue the official cause of death, The News & Observer reports. Prisons communication director Brad Deen told reporters he could not explain why the death was labeled an apparent suicide. The Department of Adult Correction and the joint SBI and medical examiner investigation will review the circumstances and release findings when they are available.
Victim and Community Aftermath
Nancy Britt, described in court records as a Wake County teacher, has remained at the center of a case that stretched more than two decades, from the 2003 slaying through trials and appeals. Her death and the long legal fight that followed drew scrutiny and ultimately produced mistrials, a conviction and multiple appeals, according to Justia. Britt's death in custody now closes a significant chapter in that long-running saga.
