Russell Blackwell
Russell Dee Blackwell, 35, died on May 21, 2026, after he was hurt in a fight in his cell at the Johnson County jail in Indiana. Jail staff found him injured and took him to Johnson Memorial Hospital, and he was later moved to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he died. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office has asked prosecutors to consider a voluntary manslaughter charge against the other person held in the cell, and an autopsy attributed his death to blunt force trauma. Prosecutors will decide what charges, if any, are filed.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office says Russell Dee Blackwell died of injuries consistent with a battery from a fight with his cellmate, and an autopsy attributed his death to blunt force trauma.
Reported by: Johnson County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); autopsy; court documents.