Derek Criddle
Derek Criddle, 26, was held at the Corrections Corporation of America facility on County Road 540 in Greenwood, Mississippi, when a fight broke out in an open housing pod on July 6, 2023. Police Chief Henry Purnell said he was stabbed numerous times, and CCA spokesperson Cassandra Swims said he was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS. Officials describe the fight as gang-related, and the investigation was ongoing with no suspects charged as of the report. Criddle was originally from Grenada.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody. Police Chief Henry Purnell and CCA spokesperson Cassandra Swims say he was stabbed numerous times during an inmate fight in an open housing pod.
Reported by: Police Chief Henry Purnell (the agency that held him); CCA Facility Public Information Officer Cassandra Swims (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.