HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said a man has died after being found unconscious inside his cell at the Harris County Jail.
David Gardner, 25, was facing charges in connection to a deadly home invasion and had been in custody on a capital murder charge since May 27, 2020.
Recommended Videos
RELATED: Fingerprints lead to suspect in deadly home invasion’s arrest in N. Harris County: Officials
Gardner’s cause of death is pending the completion of an autopsy by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The sheriff’s office said a detention officer was delivering lunch Wednesday when he saw Gardner unconscious in his jail cell at 10:36 a.m. Another detention officer performed CPR on Gardner as an ambulance crew made their way to the jail. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m.
The sheriff’s office said evidence recovered from the cell indicates the possible presence of narcotics.
“The Sheriff’s Office has recently increased efforts to prevent the introduction of illegal narcotics into the jail. Those efforts include increased screening of incoming mail, jail visitors, and employees. Additional investigators have also been assigned to track the sources of illegal drugs in the jail and file charges when warranted,” the sheriff’s office said.