The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of an inmate at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility earlier this year.

Prison officials reportedly told Mississippi authorities that inmate Melvin Cancer had suffered a heart attack, but a recent autopsy has since ruled his death a homicide.

“I’d like for it to be thoroughly investigated to see what did happen,” said Juan Barnett, chairman of the Senate Corrections Committee. “Even though people in prison have committed crimes, I still believe in humane treatment for everybody.”

After fellow inmates at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility repeatedly complained that Cancer would not bathe, prison officials reportedly dragged him into the shower, where he may have suffered fatal injuries. 

On Jan. 22, Cancer was declared dead at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The 53-year-old inmate had been serving eight years in prison after pleading guilty to a 2019 aggravated assault in Hinds County.

Jeremy St. Julian is the third person to serve as superintendent at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in less than a year. Some staff members have reportedly been placed on administrative leave.

“Either we’re hiring bad people, or we need to look at the people doing the hiring,” Barnett said. “There has to be some accountability somewhere.”

Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said he could not comment on the matter. The Mississippi Department of Corrections did not respond to a request for comment.

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