An inmate at the Lee County Jail died in December, Sheriff Brian Estes has told The Rant.

In response to an inquiry, Estes said an inmate “suffered from a medical emergency at our facility on December 16, 2022.” He did not identify the inmate, disclose what charges they were booked on and when, or say whether the jail staff were aware of any existing medical conditions the inmate had.

Estes said the State Bureau of Investigation and District Attorney’s office had been notified, and that results from a requested autopsy by the N.C. Medical Examiner’s office are pending.

The most recent inmate death in Lee County that The Rant is aware of happened in October 2021.