The Picayune Item

Local News

September 20, 2012

Inmate hangs self while held on molestation charge

By Jeremy Pittari, Item Staff Writer The Picayune Item

PICAYUNE — A Picayune man apparently hung himself while being held in the Picayune jail for the alleged molestation of a child and other charges.

Picayune Police Chief Bryan Dawsey made the announcement Wednesday morning, saying he called in the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations to conduct an unbiased investigation into the incident.

“The case is still under investigation as we speak,” Dawsey said.

The inmate was identified as 33-year-old Travis Ronald Matlock of 706 Mills St., who was arrested Sunday just before 10 p.m. on the charges of touching a child for lustful purposes, disorderly conduct failure to comply, resisting arrest by fleeing, public drunk and public profanity, according to a departmental release.

Pearl River County Coroner Derek Turnage said an autopsy was conducted early Wednesday morning at the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office and the autopsy determined the cause of death was due to self-inflicted hanging.

A corrections officer distributing meals found Matlock in his cell in an unresponsive state at 6:18 p.m. Tuesday, according to the release. Ambulance services and Turnage were called to the jail where Matlock was determined to be deceased, according to the release.

Dawsey declined to say exactly how Matlock had hung himself, saying the case was still under investigation by MBI and he did not want to compromise the nature of their investigation.

“With something like this we call in an outside agency,” Dawsey said. “We’re taking the proper steps to make sure this investigation is thorough and complete.”

Dawsey did say Matlock was not being held with the general population of the jail, and instead was being held in a one man cell at the time of his suspected suicide.

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