A custodial death report indicates Smith County Jail staff were delayed in reaching an inmate who died on Thursday in his cell due to a malfunctioning door lock.
Nathan Lee Johns, 28, of Flint, died by suicide in the Smith County Jail after a detention officer alerted staff of an emergency situation at about 12:50 p.m., according to a sheriff’s office statement.
Jail staff said Johns used an electrical plug from the inmate phone box to hang himself, also tying the cell door to a bunk located in the cell so it could not be opened.
When staff attempted to open the door to the cell, the key would not go in the lock, according to the report. Officers spent several minutes determining something was stuffed in the locking mechanism, and maintenance unsuccessfully tried several different ways to open the door, the report said.