Alexander Davis, 53, did not live to see the end of his 20-year prison term. The Mississippi inmate was found dead at the Marshall County Correctional Facility on April 6, and state corrections officials say the cause and manner of death will not be known until an autopsy is complete. Prison officials have launched an internal review but have not released any further details about the circumstances of his death.
Autopsy Pending As State Probes Inmate Death
According to WREG, the Mississippi Department of Corrections reported that Davis was pronounced dead at the Marshall County facility on April 6 and that an autopsy has been requested to determine exactly how and why he died. Agency officials told the outlet that staff have opened an internal inquiry while the coroner arranges postmortem testing.
Drug Case That Put Davis Behind Bars
Records from the Mississippi Department of Corrections show Davis began serving his sentence on November 5, 2020, after Neshoba County convictions on three counts of selling methamphetamine and trafficking in controlled substances. The records list a total term of 20 years, with no public notes about medical history or any prior incidents behind bars.
Death Comes Amid Wider Scrutiny Of Mississippi Prisons
Davis’s death lands in the middle of growing concern over in-custody fatalities in Mississippi. Reporting by The Marshall Project and other outlets has flagged gaps in transparency around prison deaths and has pushed state officials to more closely review homicides behind bars and how those deaths are reported to the public.
What Officials Say Happens Next
Authorities say the autopsy, along with toxicology testing, will determine the official cause and manner of Davis’s death, and any criminal or administrative steps will depend on those findings, WREG reported. Results from autopsies and related lab work can take anywhere from several days to weeks to be released, depending on the type of testing and any backlog at the laboratory.
WREG’s initial reporting identified Davis and relayed the Mississippi Department of Corrections’ early statements. More details could emerge once the coroner’s report is finalized and the agency completes its internal review. This story will be updated as officials release additional information.
