An inmate has died at Mississippi State Penitentiary, also known as Parchman, the county coroner confirmed on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths at the facility up to 8 since the year began a mere 23 days ago.
According to CNN, Thomas Lee, 49, who was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to capital murder was found hanging in his single-person cell on Wednesday morning in Unit 29.
Guards cut him down and began CPR, however, Lee was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m. local time.
“The cause of death appears consistent with ligature hanging but the official cause and manner of death is pending investigation” Sunflower County Coroner Heather Burton said, according to the report.
Two other inmates died this week alone. Timothy Hudspeth and James Talley were both killed in altercations on Monday and Tuesday.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections tweeted out that the deaths of Hudspeth and Talley appeared to be isolated, and not a part of a recent series of retaliatory killings that have occurred within the facility.