SCOOP: Inmate identified who died at the Rutherford County Detention Center
Terrell Ledbetter, 47, was found dead in his cell yesterday. The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is leading the investigation.
On Tuesday, May 7, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center staff discovered an inmate unresponsive in their assigned cell, authorities said yesterday. Despite immediate intervention and life-saving measures by staff, the inmate could not be revived.
Today, Sheriff James Aaron Ellenburg identified the man as Terrell Ledbetter, 47. Ledbetter was arrested in January for second-degree murder. He was being held as a pre-trial detainee under a $950,000 secured bond.
Ellenburg emphasized the importance of a transparent and impartial investigation in an interview with Cops & Congress yesterday. "The priority of our office is to ensure a thorough and independent examination of this incident," he said.
SBI is investigating. The incident occurred just hours after Moseley Architects presented their findings of a space needs study for a new jail to Rutherford County Commissioners on Monday. The jail had been cited for numerous deficiencies last year.
This article is free to read due to generous support from founding member subscribers. Thank you. Please support my future work.
🏛️ All those mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Learn more about this newsletter and my background. Follow me on X (Twitter), Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
(Free subscribers: Upgrade to paid to leave a comment below and don’t miss out on exclusive content.)
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Cops & Congress by Annie Dance to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.