Red Onion State Prison inmate charged with murder after inmate’s death
WISE COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — An inmate at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County was charged with the aggravated murder of another inmate in 2023.
According to a release from the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), inmate Julian Leon Mitchell, 36, was charged with aggravated murder by a grand jury in Wise County Circuit Court. An indictment against Mitchell was filed on May 15.
Inmate Jowell Legendre was reportedly found unresponsive in his and Mitchell’s shared cell by corrections team members on Aug. 24, 2023.
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Legendre was taken to the Dickenson Community Hospital where he was pronounced deceased, the VADOC stated.
Mitchell reportedly told security staff that Legendre fell from the top of his bunk bed.
“The safety and security of our corrections team, inmates, and supervisees is this department’s top priority,” VADOC Director Chad Dotson said in a release. “The Virginia Department of Corrections will pursue prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for anyone who threatens that safety and security. I thank Commonwealth’s Attorney Brett Hall for bringing this case before a grand jury, and for always being a steadfast supporter of our Department. I also thank our corrections team members for their work on this investigation.”
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