JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — An inmate who was serving a life sentence for kidnap and rape convictions has died in the hospital of the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections said Monday that Kevin Keith Russell, 50, died Sunday after being hospitalized for several days.
The department said Russell had a terminal illness, but it did not specify what that was. An autopsy will be done.
Russell was convicted in Harrison County on charges that stem from a 1998 attack. He was sentenced as a habitual offender on Sept. 1, 2000.
At least 72 inmates have died in Mississippi prisons since late December. Several inmates died during outbursts of violence in late December and early January. The U.S. Justice Department announced in February that it is investigating the state’s prison system.
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