Inmate found dead at Picayune Municipal Jail

Picayune Police Assistant Chief Dustin Moeller stated that on Sunday, December 15, 2019, during the early morning inmate head count at approximately 5:55 a.m. at the municipal jail, officers discovered an inmate to be unresponsive. At that time, AAA Ambulance Service was called to the jail. Upon AAA’s arrival, the inmate, a white male, identified as Ricky Lee Holifield, Jr. age 48, of 34725 Edgar Kennedy Road, Pearl River, LA., was pronounced deceased.

Moeller said the Pearl River County Coroner was called to the scene. At that time, the investigation was turned over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) as a matter of protocol. Agents with MBI were dispatched to the scene shortly thereafter and they processed the scene and the jail as part of their investigation. The body was transported to the state of Mississippi Crime Lab in Jackson and an autopsy has been ordered according to Moeller.

Holifield was booked into the jail the night before on Saturday, December 14, on a charge of DUI First Offense.

Moeller said that at this time, they do not know the cause of death, but there does not appear to be any foul play involved. He said the inmate was housed in a cell by himself.

Moeller said that due to the fact that the investigation has been turned over to MBI, any information pertaining to Holifield’s cause of death or any other information on the investigation will come from MBI.