A 49-year-old man died in custody at the Shelby County Jail, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday, July 23.
The SCSO does not suspect foul play in the death of Jerome Mimes, who died around 6:20 p.m. on Monday, July 22. An investigation is underway.
A cause of death hasn’t been determined.
Mimes was being held on behalf of the Germantown Police Department, after being arrested for failure to appear in court. The original charges date back to 2023 for property theft, simple possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He pleaded guilty on June 10 and was serving a 42-day sentence at the lockup.
Mimes criminal record dates back to 2010. His other offenses include possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
It was the third death at the jail this year.
Suspected murderer Kevin Wright, 57, was also found unresponsive in his cell on May 31.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy attributed the death to suicide. Wright’s defense attorney, Jason Ballanger, blamed the death on jail conditions.
Wright’s death was preceded by the passing of Ramon McGee, 42. Like the others, he was found unresponsive in his cell. He died in the hospital two days later on Jan. 12.
His death was condemned by an SCSO spokesman, after an independent autopsy filed by McGee family lawyers found malnutrition, dehydration and insect infestation as primary causes.
In October of 2023, there were three deaths at the jail. Two were suicides. The third was the stabbing death of Deon Byrd, who was attacked by fellow inmates outside a courtroom at the 201 Poplar Avenue facility.
Since 2016, there have been nearly 60 inmate deaths.
Built in 1981, the Shelby County Jail has experienced deteriorating conditions – including numerous broken jail doors – that have led to safety concerns for inmates and staff.
On May 20, the Shelby County Commission approved $345,632.37 to repairing over 400 cell doors. The jail was built to house 500 inmates.
Several local leaders, including Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, have called for an new lockup to be built.
