William Kenneth Moore dies in Cleveland County Detention Center custody
Apr. 21—The Cleveland County Detention Center announced that an inmate died in custody following a medical episode and subsequent transfer to Norman Regional Hospital.
According to a release, at 11:54 p.m. Friday, William Kenneth Moore, 36, was declared deceased at Norman Regional.
The cause of death has not been released and is under investigation by the Medical Examiner's Office.
There were no signs of physical trauma to Moore's body, according to medical staff.
The death is being investigated by the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office with support from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The Sheriff's office said more information will be available after the investigation is complete.
According to the release, Moore went to bed at 7:30 p.m. and was interacting with others at that time. During an in-person sight check between 7:44 p.m., and 10 p.m., no issues were reported.
The release stated, "At 10:55, five minutes after an in-person check was logged, a medical alert was issued for Moore, who was unresponsive and still in his bunk. At 10:57 p.m. medical and detention staff were in the unit to assist, at 10:58 p.m. CPR was initiated and EMS services were dispatched."
The jail administration has notified Moore's next of kin.
Moore was booked on Dec. 13, 2022 on charges of aggravated trafficking of illegal substances and firearms violations. He was convicted and sentenced and had been waiting for a transfer to the Department of Corrections.
In December 2022, Cleveland County Detention Center received national attention following the death of Shannon Hanchett, known as Norman's "cookie queen," who died while in custody of an enlarged heart, according to the medical examiner's final report.
The facility has been the subject of public scrutiny, with many suggesting that Hanchett may have survived had she received proper medical attention.
On Dec. 20, 2022, Kathryn Milano, 66, died in custody after suffering a medical emergency "related to pre-existing medical conditions." The family of the deceased said her incarceration was not "handled properly," and that she should have received "proper mental and physical health care" while in custody.
On Feb. 25, 2023, the detention center announced that Joe Allen Sims Jr. died by hanging while in the facility's custody.
The jail recently implemented new technology to assist with cell checks. The Oklahoma Health Department had reported during a January inspection that site checks being missed. Jail personnel have said employees can be disrupted from regularly scheduled checks for responding to things like fights, medical events and feeding schedules.
Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.
