HOUSTON – A Harris County inmate died in custody on Sunday after having complications from a terminal medical condition, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Kenneth McZeal, 65, was taken to a local hospital and admitted for an illness on Oct.1. He was pronounced dead seven days later around 1:40 a.m.
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Authorities said he didn’t have physical injuries. He was booked into the jail on June 8, 2021 and convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 years old, law enforcement officers said.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the death since all jail deaths must be looked into by an outside law enforcement agency.
“The Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division is also investigating to determine whether all applicable policies and procedures were followed, which is standard following the death of a person in jail. The man’s cause of death will be determined by an autopsy conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards was also informed about the death.
The total number of jail deaths this year is 16, including McZeal.
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