The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office announced a policy shift on Monday to stop publicly reporting inmate deaths deemed natural causes, citing respect for families’ privacy [conversation_history]. This change precedes a community vigil honoring 23 custody deaths over the past decade at Al Cannon Detention Center and coincides with ongoing probes into recent cases [conversation_history].
Recent Inmate Death
An unidentified inmate died on December 6, 2025, with Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal preliminarily attributing it to natural causes pending autopsy; SLED is investigating [conversation_history]. The sheriff’s office implemented the non-disclosure before the Lowcountry Action Committee’s vigil, which criticized it as lacking transparency despite focusing on varied death causes [conversation_history].
Vigil Context
The event remembered cases like Mary Brucato’s August 11 death from fentanyl, cocaine, and alleged medical neglect, ruled a homicide under SLED review [conversation_history]. Organizers, including LAC, advocate for accountability amid patterns of neglect highlighted in prior lawsuits and a 2023 DOJ civil rights probe into jail medical care [conversation_history].
