Twenty-three-year-old Tyler Thomas Ross was arrested and placed in a temporary holding cell at Bell County Jail. At that point, he had not made any suicidal statements, but he hadn’t yet gone through the intake process. Within hours, he was found hanging in the holding cell in the jail at 2405 S. Loop 121, Belton, TX 76513. Lifesaving measures were administered, and Mr. Ross lived until July 11, 2023, when he died from injuries caused by the suicide attempt.

Moore County Jail is Cited for Noncompliance After the Death of a Detainee

In September 2022, a special jail inspection was conducted at Moore County Jail at 700 S Bliss Ave, Dumas TX 79029. It is standard protocol for the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) to send an inspector to a municipal or county jail anytime there is a custodial death.

After conducting the inspection, a TCJS inspector cited Moore County Jail for Noncompliance with the following rule.

Rule §265.3-Observation During Holding

Moore County Jail was found noncompliant with Rule §265.3-Observation During Holding, which is in the chapter on Admission. The minimum jail standard states that detainees held in a detox or holding cell must be observed by jail staff at intervals that do not exceed 30 minutes.

• After reviewing a video submitted after a custodial death, it was revealed that while the detainee was in a holding cell, he was not observed multiple times over several hours prior to his death.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this continuing series.

One of this website’s purposes is to provide information to help Texas inmates who are or have been incarcerated in a county or city jail in the state and their families. Insinuating that a person or institution has been involved in misdeeds is never intended.

–Guest Contributor