Inmate charged with murder in choking death of cellmate

Published 10:07 pm Wednesday, March 20, 2019

WEST POINT (AP) — A Mississippi inmate has been charged with murder in the strangling death of his cellmate at the Clay County Jail.

News outlets report 20-year-old Cameron Henderson, of West Point, was charged Monday in the Friday death of 54-year-old Dale O’Neal, who was set to be released that day. O’Neal had been jailed since March 8 and was serving time for trespassing and failing to appear in court.

Sheriff Eddie Scott says inmates began “hollering about a man down” early Friday and a responding jailer found O’Neal unresponsive in his cell. The state Bureau of Investigation was called to investigate the death, and autopsy results were released this week.

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Henderson was serving time for shoplifting. The Daily Times Leader says he has a history of drug use and mental health issues.