Eastern KY inmate dies after assault by another prisoner, state police report
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- Kentucky troopers say inmate Marcus Gray was assaulted at EKCC and later died.
- State police identify John Thomas as accused; no charges yet; case to grand jury.
- This marks third suspected homicide at EKCC in about four months; investigations continue.
An inmate is accused of assaulting and killing another at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex over the weekend.
The time of the alleged assault at the facility in West Liberty was not specified by Kentucky State Police, but the agency said it was notified at 6:25 p.m. Sunday. When troopers and detectives arrived at the prison, they found Marcus Gray, 49, of Corbin, unresponsive in his cell.
Lifesaving measures were performed on Gray before he was flown to University of Kentucky Hospital, where he later died, KSP said.
John Thomas, 32, of Burlington, is accused of assaulting and killing Gray, though officials have not filed charges as of Tuesday morning. The events leading up to the incident and any connection between the two inmates is unclear. In the release announcing the death, state police did not report why the pair were serving time.
The assault case will be presented to the Morgan County grand jury at its next meeting and is being investigated by state police.
Gray is the third inmate to die at Eastern Kentucky prison from suspected foul play in a little more than four months.
On Aug. 31, Robert Broyles, 34, was found unresponsive in his cell and later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to state police. Foul play is suspected in Broyles’ death, but no suspect information has been provided.
About a month later, Ryan Rayburn, 27, was found unresponsive in his cell and died shortly after arriving at Appalachian Regional Healthcare Hospital in Morgan County. State police previously said foul play is suspected, and an inmate was being investigated as a person of interest.
Trooper Zach Haney, public affairs officer for State Police Post 8, said there are no updates in the Broyles and Rayburn death investigations. There are no known connections between the three deaths.
In late November, an inmate also died at another Eastern Kentucky facility in Floyd County in what was reported to be a suicide.
