State officials are investigating the death of a 41-year-old Columbus man who died after being transported from the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle this weekend.
Orlando Guyton was taken from the jail to the hospital Sunday via an ambulance after suffering “medical issues” while in custody, according to a media release from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department. He was pronounced dead at the hospital Sunday morning.
An autopsy was slated to be performed on Guyton in Jackson this week. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.
Guyton, who lived at 1173 Old Yorkville Road, was arrested Thursday in connection with a burglary at an Applewood Drive residence. The tenant, upon arriving home, found Guyton “standing in the living room covered in blood,” according to LCSD.
Guyton then ran out of the home, according to LCSD.
Deputies eventually found Guyton in the neighborhood “bleeding profusely from his body” and “acting violent and out of control,” according to the media release.
“Suspect was subdued and officers administered first aid until EMS arrived and took over,” the release states.
Guyton was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, where he was treated and released. He was then taken into custody to face a felony charge of burglary of an occupied dwelling, according to authorities.
On Sunday, Guyton was taken from the jail back to the hospital, where he died.
Contacted this morning, MBI spokesman Warren Strain told The Dispatch his office was waiting on crime laboratory test results.
“The preliminary indication — and we stress that this investigation isn’t complete — is that it was a natural death,” Strain said. “That is where we are now, based on the preliminary autopsy report, our observations and interviews.”
Strain said it is difficult to assess how long it would take for the investigation to be completed.
“We don’t take a cookie-cutter approach,” he said. “You never know what is going to pop up during any investigation. One door might lead to another. So there’s no real way to say its going to take X number of days or X number of weeks. Each case is different.”
Funeral services for Guyton are at noon Saturday at Shiloh Full Gospel M.B. Church.
Dispatch reporter Slim Smith contributed to this report.
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
