The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) is looking into the death of a pregnant inmate at a county jail.
Lanekia Michelle Brown died at the Madison County Detention Center while awaiting trial for a drug charge. Brown and an acquaintance were arrested in November after police officers found over 100 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle during a traffic stop, according to WDAM. Brown was being held without bond.
Her family was informed of her death on Sunday by a state trooper, according to WJTV.
The 37-year-old complained about stomach pains before her death. By the time a nurse arrived at her cell to check on her, it was too late.
"They did CPR on her over and over … still didn't get no response. … So he just said she was gone," Margaret Johnson, Brown’s mother, said. Johnson added her daughter was about four weeks pregnant with her third child.
The family drove to the jail to claim her body but was told to come back on Wednesday. Her relatives never got a chance to see or identify her corpse.
The family believes jail officials are responsible for Brown’s death.
"It's very suspicious because like I said we talked to her and she was okay. If she had any kind of problems, she would have let us know," a relative said.
“I need to know what happened to her … where she at. They won’t tell me or give me no information. That’s my child. I love my child. … I want to know where my child is,” Johnson said.
The MBI will oversee the entire investigation, and an autopsy will be performed, according to Madison County Sheriff's Department spokesman Heath Hall.
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