The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is investigating the death of an inmate who was being detained at the Walker County Jail.
On Friday, April 19, the Walker County Sheriff's Office requested the SBI to formally take over the investigation into the death of inmate Siras Jeremain Theus, 47, of Jasper. He was arrested by the Jasper Police Department on April 12 and was being held at the Walker County Jail.
ALEA said in a statement to 1819 News, "It is suspected that Theus suffered a medical emergency at approximately 9:15 p.m. on Friday, April 19, and was pronounced deceased."
The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences will conduct an autopsy. Once complete, the findings will be turned over to the Walker County District Attorney’s Office.
This death follows an ongoing investigation into the Walker County Jail, where it was determined that inmate Tony Mitchell died of homicide by "medical neglect" after the inmate froze to death in the Walker County Jail.
In that case, Mitchell died after two weeks in custody at the Walker County Jail in 2023.
CBS 42 reported that in a phone conversation, a representative of the Walker County Sheriff's office emphasized that the death did not occur in the Walker County Jail.
However, Mitchell did die in the custody of the Walker County Sheriff's office in January 2023.
Since the release of this information, the Walker County Sheriff's Office has gone silent on the case, most likely due to Mitchell's family filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Sheriff and other employees at the jail last year.
1819 News has requested information regarding the Mitchell case but has not heard back from the Walker County Sheriff's Office, the DA's Office, or the State Medical Examiner.
1819 News has also requested information about the "medical emergency" for inmate Theus and what treatment was given.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email Bradley.cox@1819news.com or on Twitter @BradleyCoxAL.
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