Death of elderly inmate at Southern Regional Jail under investigation

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - An investigation is underway after the death of an elderly inmate at Southern Regional Jail (SRJ) in October.

According to the man’s wife, Linda Cunningham, Douglas Cunningham of Sophia, died in the jail on October 29, 2022, at the age of 79. She said Cunningham, who was booked on a Capias warrant, was found unresponsive in the morning hours. At that time, she was told by jail personnel it may be 2-3 months before his remains are examined by the State Medical Examiner.

The state has yet to release details on the death. WVVA News has been in contact with a DHS spokesman regarding Cunningham’s passing and will share their response as soon as it received.

WVVA News reported on the death of another inmate on Friday, Kimberly Gilley, a mother of three who passed away in early December. Her attorney, Steve New, said she was attacked by other inmates looking for drugs. He said she was taken to the hospital twice before she died. See report here:

Another inmate death under investigation at Southern Regional Jail (wvva.com)

The facility has experienced a more than 12-fold increase in deaths since 2018. See past reporting here.

W.Va. reports a ten-fold increase in deaths at Southern Regional Jail between 2018-2022 (wvva.com)

WVVA News will provide additional updates as they become available.