An inmate at the Aiken County Detention Center has died after being found unresponsive in a cell, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday.
Officials said the inmate’s name is being withheld until family is notified. According to the sheriff’s office, there are no signs of suspicious circumstances at this time. This marks the third inmate death at the facility in the past two years.
The sheriff’s office requested assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Aiken County Coroner’s Office to investigate the death.
“A detention officer was conducting a routine check when they noticed an unresponsive inmate in a cell,” Maj. Nick Gallam said in a press release. “Aiken County EMS was notified while detention officers and onsite medical staff performed life-saving measures until EMS arrived.”
The jail has recorded two other deaths in recent months.
In July, 35-year-old Tonya Zorn of Warrenville was found dead inside her cell. She had been waiting for a bed to open at The Morris Village Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Center in Columbia after a judge ordered her into inpatient treatment. Records show she had remained at the jail for two weeks while awaiting placement.
In March 2024, 34-year-old Tony Muldrow of Florence died after suffering a medical emergency while in custody. He was taken to Aiken Regional Medical Centers, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
