UPDATE, June 14, 5:35 p.m.: Sheriff Shawn Stephens has released the name of the Independence County Jail inmate who was discovered deceased on Thursday.
Jeffery Hightower was discovered unresponsive by deputies and Vital Link EMS. His body has been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
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Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at the Independence County Jail.
According to a release from the Independence County Sheriff’s Office, county deputies and Vital Link EMS were dispatched to the jail on Thursday for an unresponsive inmate.
Upon their arrival, the inmate was found deceased.
The scene was secured and handed over to the Arkansas State Police for investigation, the release said.
The investigation is ongoing, and no further details, including the name of the deceased, are being released at this time.
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