The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed it found an inmate hanging in a cell of the county jail booking area Sunday.
Ralph Nelms, 41, of Cleveland, makes the third inmate to die while in the jail’s custody this year. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation opened a case on the incident in accordance with a request by 10th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Crump, who described their involvement as routine in matters of in-custody deaths. The agency declined to comment on the case.
On Sunday, two sources told the Times Free Press Nelms died in the booking area.
On Monday, sheriff’s office spokesman James Bradford said in a phone interview that Nelms was found hanging in a booking area cell, but could not confirm whether other inmates were with him at the time of the incident.
“There’s a lot of dynamics,” Bradford said, citing movement of prisoners and other activities associated with booking processes.