A Durham County jail detainee who was found unresponsive in his cell and later died was identified Monday as 37-year-old Robert Harris Jr.
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Harris had a Durham address and was taken from the jail Friday evening to a local hospital, where he died His death is being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, which is standard when an inmate dies.
The N.C. Office of the Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy, which is also standard.
Harris was charged Wednesday with felony possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises, according to court records that said an unknown substance found in his cell tested positive for cocaine.
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The Sheriff’s Office must notify the SBI immediately after an inmate death, and within five days must submit a Report of Inmate Death to the N.C. State Secretary of Health and Human Services, Jail and Detention Section.
According to The Charlotte Observer, 81 jail inmates in the state died last year.
Twelve deaths were by suicide. Forty were listed as natural causes. One was attributed to injuries. Five were listed as either overdoses or possible overdoses. The rest were from causes unknown, not listed or still under investigation, The Observer reported.
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 6:51 PM.