Coroner’s follow-up death-in-custody announcement

Coroner Karl Addis releases this follow-up announcement to his earlier reports on the death of an inmate in custody:  “I have had several email inquiries this (Monday)afternoon regarding the death of Mr. Ernest Lee Smalley, Jr. Mr. Smalley, 33, of Seneca, died at 6:33 pm in the intensive care unit at GMH on Tuesday evening October 27th.  Mr. Smalley sustained cardiac arrest on the afternoon of October 26th at the Oconee County Detention Center. An autopsy was performed on Wednesday morning (October 28th); the autopsy showed Mr. Smalley died from complications of Delirium tremens and a gastrointestinal hemorrhage.  Based on the autopsy findings, his manner of death was classified as natural. The autopsy did find Mr. Smalley to have contusions (bruising) primarily to his extremities. These contusions were located at:

Back of Right Hand & Wrist

Right & Left Knees and on the front of his right and left lower legs

Side of his right foot and first great toe of right foot

Right shoulder

 

There was no evidence of any lethal or incapacitating trauma found at autopsy. Based on conversations with detention center staff, Mr. Smalley was not involved in any type of known altercation with detention center staff or other inmates.  It was reported he had no injuries when presented to the detention center on the evening of October 22nd. Mr. Smalley reportedly showed signs of alcohol withdrawal while incarcerated. The coroner’s office is in the process of obtaining records from the detention center and medical records from Oconee Memorial Hospital for review. Toxicology is pending; SLED as previously reported was notified of this incident and requested to investigate this incident.”