The Williamson County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report recently with the Attorney General of Texas regarding the death of Lee Charles McCoy. Mr. McCoy was only 24 years of age at the time of his death. Information in this post was obtained from the report filed by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department. We make no allegation of any wrongdoing in this post, but are simply providing some of the information obtained from that custodial death report.
Mr. McCoy was initially incarcerated in the Williamson County Jail on October 9, 2017. The custodial death report indicates that Mr. McCoy at some point made suicidal statements and also exhibited mental health problems. However, it is unclear from the report what caused Mr. McCoy’s death.
At approximately 3:00 a.m. on a date not provided by the report, Mr. McCoy was found unresponsive in his cell. The report provides no additional information regarding the manner in which he was found. Jail staff called for assistance, because Mr. McCoy was not breathing and had no pulse. Jail medical staff started CPR. Mr. McCoy was then transported to a hospital in Round Rock, Texas. He was ultimately moved to a room. The Sheriff’s Department indicates that at some point it released Mr. McCoy from its custody. Mr. McCoy was removed from life support on April 18, 2018. The Texas Rangers, which are part of the Texas Department of Public Safety, are investigating Mr. McCoy’s death.
It is very common for the Texas Rangers to investigate deaths in jails. It seems the Texas Rangers tends to investigate deaths in jails in smaller counties, and it is our understanding that it is discretionary as to whether the Texas Rangers chooses to investigate any death. Typically, once the Texas Rangers conclude its investigation, it will provide a report containing a list of evidence reviewed and summaries of witness statements.
