A Johnston County man died while in state prison custody Saturday night. Johnny Autry was sentenced in Johnston County Court in 2016 for being a habitual felon and narcotics possession. He died Jan. 9th while in custody at Pamlico Correctional Institution.
According to a press release, Autry, 44, came to staff in a paranoid state Saturday evening and they spoke with him for more than an hour. Staff were unable to calm him before he entered into medical distress and became unresponsive. Staff members performed CPR and paramedics arrived and continued lifesaving measures, before Autry was declared deceased shortly after 9 p.m., according to the NC Department of Public Safety.
Autry was being held in medium custody and was serving a sentence as a habitual felon and for drug possession and was due for release in December 2021.
The NC SBI is investigating the incident and the cause of Autry’s death.
