Inmate dies after trying to kill himself in jail cell
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on May 23, 2006 1:47 PM
By JACK STEPHENS
News-Argus Staff Writer
A 45-year-old man who tried to hang himself in the Wayne County Jail died Monday of his injuries, officials said.
Durwood Nash Webb of Saxton Street died at about 4:15 p.m., Sheriff's Maj. Ray Smith said.
Webb's body was taken to the state medical examiner's office in Chapel Hill for an autopsy. No foul play was suspected, Smith said.
Webb was found early Saturday in his single cell. Jail officers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and he was taken by ambulance to Wayne Memorial Hospital, where he was treated in the emergency room and then placed in the intensive care unit.
Webb was originally arrested at the hospital by guards for exhibiting unruly behavior. Hospital police charged him Friday with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and brought him to the magistrate's office, where he was placed under a $1,000 secured bond.
While he was being processed, Webb became unruly again, officers said. The magistrate charged Webb with contempt of court and sentenced him to 15 days in jail.
Webb was found at about 5:55 a.m. Saturday by jailers. He had been observed about 10 minutes earlier, officer said.
Neither Sheriff Carey Winders, who was out of town, nor Smith, who was attending the autopsy, could be reached for further comment. Detective Sgt. Tammy Odom, the on-call investigator, also was attending the autopsy.
Capt. James Tadlock, the jail administrator, said Webb was in a ground-floor cell and could not be seen by other inmates but they could talk to each other through the walls. Tadlock said the Sheriff's Office has a rule that jail officers must check on inmates every 30 minutes.
Funeral arrangements are pending.