Inmate dies after fight inside cell at prison in Columbia, officials say
An inmate at a prison in Columbia died days after a fight, the South Carolina Department of Corrections said Tuesday.
James Wheeler, 52, was identified as the inmate who died, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford told The State.
Wheeler was locked up at Broad River Correctional Institution, where he was involved in a fight on April 9, the Department of Corrections said in a news release.
He was one of two roommates fighting inside their cell at night, according to the release.
Wheeler suffered severe injuries to his face and head and was taken to an area hospital, where he died Monday, the Department of Corrections said.
No weapons were used in the fight, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Chrysti Shain told The State.
An autopsy was scheduled Tuesday to determine Wheeler’s cause of death.
Information on a motive for the fight was not available, but charges are pending and the incident remains under investigation by the Department of Corrections.
The prison is on Broad River Road, near the junction with Interstate 20.
It is a male-only high-security facility “designed primarily to house violent offenders with longer sentences, and inmates who exhibit behavioral problems,” according to the Department of Corrections. It houses 1,318 inmates, according to the Department of Corrections.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
