Dale O’Neal
Dale Jerome O'Neal, 54, was held at the Clay County Jail in Mississippi, and his daughter, Yashia Culberson, said she was taking his death hard, while his mother, Ollie Blair, spoke at a family press conference. He was found dead in his shared cell on March 15, 2019, and preliminary autopsy reports, as reported, ruled that he had been strangled. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott and Coroner Alvin Carter attributed the death to homicide, and his cellmate was arrested in connection with it. The family's attorney, Carlos Moore, has requested jail records and said a lawsuit may follow, while the sheriff said records tied to the criminal investigation will not be released. Questions remain about why the two men were housed together and why guards did not intervene, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was called in.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). The sheriff and the Clay County coroner's preliminary autopsy ruled the death a homicide by strangulation by a cellmate, while the family's attorney, Carlos Moore, has requested jail records, says a lawsuit may follow, and questions why the two men were housed together and why guards did not intervene.
Reported by: Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott (the agency that held him); Clay County Coroner Alvin Carter (medical examiner or coroner); family attorney Carlos Moore (family or their lawyers).