Inmate dies in Tennessee jail, prompting homicide investigation
A medical examiner determined that the 23-year-old inmate had sustained a traumatic head injury.
DYERSBURG, Tenn. (WSMV) - A homicide investigation has been launched by the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office after a 23-year-old inmate at the county jail died of a traumatic head injury.
The sheriff’s office said Friday that the night prior, correctional officers found 23-year-old Jaylien Kimble unresponsive and “immediately initiated emergency response protocols.” Emergency medical services took Kimble to a local emergency room, where he was later pronounced deceased.
The Dyer County Criminal Investigation Division and the county medical examiner’s office determined, based on early investigative findings, that Kimble suffered a traumatic head injury. Investigators are now looking into Kimble’s death as a homicide.
The sheriff’s office said the medical examiner ordered a full autopsy and that Kimble is being transferred to the Middle Tennessee Regional Forensic Center for a “thorough and independent examination.”
“The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office takes the safety and welfare of every individual in our custody with the utmost seriousness,” the office said. “We understand that the public deserves answers, and we are committed to conducting a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation - wherever that investigation may lead.”
The information gathered by investigators so far is preliminary and subject to change, they added, and more information will be announced as it becomes available.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
