Oklahoma County Detention Center detainee died over the weekend, jail says

The Oklahoma County jail has had its second inmate death of 2024.

Jack Raymond Alexander Jr. died at a hospital Sunday two days after he was found attempting to hang himself in his cell, the jail's communications director said.

The jail has had more than 40 deaths since a trust took over its operation on July 1, 2020.

A yearlong investigation by The Oklahoman found the jail had become one of the deadliest in the United States. The state's multicounty grand jury last year called for the trust to be dissolved, saying many of the deaths were preventable.

There were only seven deaths last year, a drop that came after new steps were taken in the wake of intense criticism of the trust. The first death of 2024 came on Feb. 26.

Alexander, 62, of Oklahoma City, had been in jail since Christmas. He was arrested after his wife reported he had assaulted her.

He was charged in Oklahoma County District Court with domestic assault and battery by strangulation and other felony counts. He also had been indicted in Oklahoma City federal court on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm.

His wife reported he assaulted her with a hammer at their home, strangled her and kicked her in the head, a police detective reported in a court affidavit. She told police he believed she was cheating on him.

The jail's communications director, Mark Opgrande, had issued a news release Friday saying, "The quick actions by Detention Officers may have saved the life of a resident attempting suicide."

Detention officers found him during site checks around 9 a.m. Friday, according to the news release. He had been listed in stable condition at the hospital Friday afternoon.

Opgrande issued an update Monday saying his condition worsened over the weekend and he did not survive.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma County jail detainee dies over the weekend, second this year