SC inmate found dead in prison cell identified

An inmate at Lieber Correctional Institution was found dead in his cell after what prison officials believe was an attack by a cellmate.

Corrections officers found Matthew Williams dead Friday morning at the prison in Ridgeville, a South Carolina Department of Corrections spokesperson said.

The department’s police services are investigating the death as a homicide, and charges against Williams’ cellmate are expected to be filed soon, a spokesperson said.

Few details were available about Williams on Saturday. A search for him in the Department of Corrections’ online records turned up no results.

The suspect has not been identified.

Lieber Correctional Institution is a maximum security prison.

This story was originally published September 14, 2019 at 2:43 PM.

David Travis Bland

The State

803-771-8342‬

David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription