Jacksonville man dead after being found unresponsive in cell at Cherokee County Jail
Published 5:30 am Saturday, August 1, 2026
CHEROKEE COUNTY — A Jacksonville man died after being found unresponsive in his jail cell Wednesday.
While incarcerated in the Cherokee County Jail, jail staff found Joseph Russell, 49, unresponsive in his cell. Staff began lifesaving measures and contacted emergency services personnel, who arrived on scene and took Russell to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Cherokee County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Phillip Grimes conducted an inquest and ordered an autopsy. Russell’s body was transported to the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas.
Russell had been incarcerated at the Cherokee County Jail since April 3.
Russell’s death has been reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and is being investigated by the Texas Rangers in accordance with Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office protocol.