2 inmates dead at separate SC prisons; illicit drug use suspected, officials say

Police believe illicit drug use is connected to the deaths of two South Carolina inmates at separate prisons Sunday.

James Farrow, 46, an inmate at Tyger River Correctional Institution in Spartanburg County, was found unresponsive in a bathroom Sunday and later pronounced dead, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said in a release Monday.

Ronnie Williams, 52, an inmate at Kershaw Correctional Institution in Lancaster County, was pronounced dead at a local hospital Sunday after his roommate alerted officers that Williams was unresponsive, Shain said.

Autopsies are being conducted to determine a cause of death, but Shain said preliminary investigation points to illegal drug use.

There was no immediate word Monday on what kind of drugs are suspected; however, Shain said inmates are being reminded of the consequences that can result from taking or combining different drugs.

Tyger River and Kershaw are bothy medium-security facilities, according to the Department of Corrections’ website.

This story was originally published June 3, 2019 at 1:26 PM.