Inmate dies in Boone County custody

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been corrected to note the inmate died in a hospital.

An inmate died in a hospital while in the custody of the Boone County Sheriff's Office on Monday, according to a sheriff’s office spokesman.

Spokesman Brian Leer confirmed that an inmate had died around 4:15 p.m. Monday after being taken to a hospital. The department will not release the name of the person who died because of “ongoing policy regarding death investigations.”

Leer stated the inmate had "quite an extensive medical history" and "had been in custody for several years.”

“The detainee had a sudden medical event at the jail and personnel provided care until relieved by EMS & fire personnel. The detainee was transported to a local hospital, where they passed away nearly two hours later,” Leer wrote in a statement to ABC 17 News.

The last death reported in sheriff's office custody was in August 2024, when William Gipson, 43, of Ashland, died in at the Boone County Jail. The Boone County Medical Examiner determined that his death was the result of an accidental methamphetamine overdose.

No charges were filed in that incident.

Missouri law states that a coroner must investigate any death that occurs while that person is in custody. The Death and Custody Act requires law enforcement agencies to report jail and prison deaths to the Department of Justice.