SBI investigates after Rutherford County Detention Center inmate dies

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A state-led investigation is underway after the death of a Rutherford County jail inmate.

The sheriff's office said that 47-year-old Terrell Quante Ledbetter was found unresponsive in his cell on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, by detention center staff.

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Staff performed lifesaving medical procedures on the inmate, which were unsuccessful, the statement said.

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The sheriff's office said 911 was called, and Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), and the Rutherfordton Fire and Rescue Department responded.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is conducting an independent investigation into the inmate's cause of death at the request of the sheriff's office.

Rutherford County authorities say Ledbetter was booked on January 8, 2024, for charges out of the Spindale Police Department. He was being held as a pretrial detainee under a $950,000 secured bond.

News 13 previously reported that Ledbetter was charged with second-degree murder after a deadly overdose at a motel in Spindale.