By Carol Robinson
Alabama Media Group, Birmingham
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. — The autopsy of an inmate who died at the Jefferson County Jail over the weekend turned up a ruptured plastic bag in his stomach, sheriff’s officials announced Tuesday.
Earnest True Smith, 36, was booked into the county jail at 10:15 a.m. Friday on a charge of failure to appear in court on 2018 charges of unlawful distribution of marijuana and cocaine trafficking.
Sheriff’s officials said that shortly after 8 p.m., inmates noticed Smith exhibiting signs of a seizure and alerted jail officers. He was treated by the medical staff and then taken by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:51 p.m.
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Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said an autopsy was done Saturday and showed no signs of trauma or foul play.
Sheriff’s Capt. David Agee said the ruptured plastic bag contained an unknown substance believed to be illicit drugs. “There is a high probability that the contents of the bag were absorbed into Smith’s system,’’ Agee said. “The other preliminary findings were consistent with seizure deaths and drug toxicity.”
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