SC inmate death under investigation

An inmate of the South Carolina Department of Corrections died Wednesday at Palmetto Health Richland hospital, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said in a news release.

Donnell L. Candya, 21, died from head injuries “not due to a fall,” Watts said after conducting an autopsy Thursday.

The final ruling on cause of death will be made after further investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and state corrections officials, the coroner said.

Candya was being held at the Kirkland Correctional Institution on Broad River Road in Columbia as a new admission, DOC spokeswoman Stephanie Givens said.

He was convicted in Horry County on a charge of possessing a weapon and sentenced to two years and six months in December 2014, Givens said.

According to Horry County court records, Candya had faced a number of drug and weapons charges dating to the early 2000s, including manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine or cocaine, sale of a pistol to an unlawful person, resisting arrest and possession of controlled substances.

Staff writer Avery Wilks contributed to this report

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 5:17 PM with the headline "SC inmate death under investigation."