Rodney Meadows
Rodney Meadows, 39, of Kinston, was held at Pamlico Correctional Institution in North Carolina, where he was found alone and unresponsive in his cell shortly before 5 a.m. on Sunday, May 31, 2026. According to WCTI, staff began lifesaving measures and called 911, and responders pronounced him dead at 5:19 a.m. His mother, Donya Meadows, said he made everybody laugh, was very helpful, and was kind and generous, and the family said they visited him on Saturday and he seemed fine. The Department of Adult Correction said no cause of death has been determined, an autopsy will be performed, and the State Bureau of Investigation is investigating; his family says they learned of his death from another inmate before officials contacted them and that his mother could not reach the prison for hours.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined
Reported by: North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (the agency that held him); State Bureau of Investigation (outside investigators); family.