JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – According to officials, Bobby Deangelo Hawthorne, 34, was found dead of stab wounds in Unit 30 Sunday afternoon.
MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain, Deputy Commissioner Jay Mallett and Corrections Investigative Division director John Hunt traveled to Parchman to investigate the scene.
“We are making every effort to reduce violence in our prisons,” said Cain. “Safety measures implemented during COVID have kept inmates inside more since March, but we continue to explore healthy and safe options for providing more inmates access to outdoor work programs. On top of that, we are installing the newest high-tech video surveillance systems inside the units to monitor activities.”
The Sunflower County Sheriff’s Office, Corrections Investigative Division, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and County Coroner are also investigating the incident.
MDOC officials said Hawthorne was serving time for convictions in 2013 for delivery of a controlled substance and a 2015 conviction for armed robbery. Sunflower County Coroner Heather Burton ruled Hawthorne’s death a homicide shortly after he was pronounced dead at the prison.
