BCI investigating second Clermont County jail inmate death in 2 months

BATAVIA, Ohio (WXIX) - The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is looking into the second death of a Clermont County jail inmate in as many months, according to an agency spokesman and Sheriff Steve Leahy.

Correction officers found Jessica Jean Windsor, 33, unresponsive in her cell at 8:10 p.m. Sunday. She was transported to Clermont Mercy Hospital and pronounced dead at 8:59 p.m., according to a news release from the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Leahy emailed the news release to FOX19 NOW early Tuesday shortly after we contacted him and inquired about Windsor.

“The Sheriff’s Office requested the Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) to respond to the Clermont County Jail to conduct the investigation and process the scene,” the news release states. “There were no visible injuries detected on the deceased, and there is no foul play suspected at this time.”

Windsor was being housed alone in her cell after Felicity police arrested her Thursday and she was booked into the jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

Warrants were issued for her arrest following an indictment for possession of a fentanyl-related compound, resisting arrest and possession of drug abuse instruments, according to court records and the sheriff’s office.

Correctional officers and jail medical staff immediately began trying to save her life after she was found unresponsive, the sheriff’s office says.

A correctional officer called 911 at 8:14 p.m. and requested an ambulance for a 33-year-old female who was unresponsive and not breathing, according to the computer-aided dispatch (CAD)report on the incident released to FOX19 NOW early Tuesday.

“We need a squad to the jail. We’ve got somebody we are giving CPR to, a female,” the officer said, according to a recording of the 911 call we also obtained.

Central Joint EMS responded to the jail at 8:21 p.m. and continued lifesaving measures before Windsor was taken to the hospital, the sheriff’s news release states.

The CAD report indicates she was in cardiac or respiratory arrest/death.

It also says “It’s not known if a defibrillator (AED) is available.”

Sheriff Leahy said Tuesday they have numerous AEDs in all their facilities including the jail.

Windsor’s death comes after another female inmate, Angela R. Thornton, 39, was found unresponsive in her jail cell and pronounced dead there early Feb. 15.

Sheriff Leahy immediately asked BCI to investigate that as well.

A BCI spokesman said Tuesday their investigation into Thornton’s in-custody death is complete and was turned over to the prosecutor’s office for review on April 22.

Thornton also had no visible injuries and foul play was not suspected, according to a sheriff’s office news release at the time.

Both women died three days after they were booked into the Clermont County Jail on drug charges.

The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office handled the autopsies of both women and has not released the cause of death yet for either pending their toxicology reports.

Thornton was arrested and booked into the jail three days before she died.

She was jailed due to a bench warrant issued on Nov. 8, 2023, by Clermont County Common Pleas Court.

A judge ordered her arrest after she failed to appear in court one day prior for a pretrial hearing on her October indictment for possession of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin, court records show.

She also failed to appear for another hearing later that month, on Nov. 29, 2023.

Like Thornton, Windsor was in and out of the jail.

Windsor leaves behind four children, jail records show.

“Anytime there is an in-custody death it’s standard protocol to request an outside agency conduct any needed investigation for total transparency,” Sheriff Leahy said early Tuesday in response to questions about both deaths from FOX19 NOW.

“There have been deaths that are the result of overdoses. Obviously, I can’t comment on this particular incident, but as Sheriff, I feel that even one is too many.

“There is always a concern regarding a controlled substance making its way into any correctional facility here and across the country…the introduction of fentanyl into the world of addiction and abuse is extremely scary/alarming. Some subjects who come into our facility are often in terrible physical condition on top of any addiction problems they may have. Individuals who come into our facility are questioned, searched and go through a body scanner. We also bring drug detection K9s into the facility on a regular basis to conduct searches.”

The sheriff referred further questions to a spokesman for BCI at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

The spokesman, Steve Irwin, said their investigation into Windsor’s in-custody death is active and ongoing.

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