Whitman County Jail inmate committed suicide, coroner rules

An inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell at the Whitman County Jail earlier this month hanged himself.

Jesse William Harrell, 30, died from "asphyxia via ligature hanging," according to the Whitman County Coroner's Office. The office ruled Harrell's death a suicide.

A county corrections officer was conducting regular inmate rounds in the early -morning hours of Easter Sunday when the officer discovered Harrell unresponsive, according to a Whitman County Sheriff's Office news release. The officer and responding medics tried to save Harrell's life, but he died.

Harrell was booked four days earlier into the jail on a Garfield County warrant for forgery, according to the Whitman County Jail website. He was also facing malicious mischief and attempted escape charges.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 7:14 PM.