Man Jailed Without Bail Over $5 Grocery Theft Found Dead in Cell

Jamycheal Mitchell, 24, of Portsmouth, VA, was found dead in his jail cell after being held without bail for four months over an alleged theft of $5 worth of groceries. Mitchell suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and his family said he refused to eat or take medication while in jail.

The man's aunt, Roxanne Adams, told The Guardian that her nephew was "extremely emaciated" and she said he had no muscle mass. Adams revealed, "He was just deteriorating so fas. His body failed. It is extraordinary. The person I saw deceased was not even the same person."

Mitchell was supposed to be moved to a mental health facility after he was deemed not competent to stand trial, but ongoing conversations between the facilities prolonged the man's stay in jail. It's unclear why he wasn't given a chance to be released on bail.

Source: The Guardian