RCSD incident report describes inmate death as a murder, but details are slim

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the death of an Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center inmate as a murder, but details on what’s been discovered so far are largely redacted.

On Friday, Jan. 27, 29-year-old Antonius Randolph was found dead at the jail.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department had arrested him on Jan. 21 and two days later Sheriff Leon Lott had described him as a “monster” in a news conference.

“We’ve taken a monster off our streets. It’s our prayer that he’s not going to see daylight again and I don’t think he will.”

Richland County court records show he faced:

Two counts kidnapping
1st-degree criminal sexual conduct
Possession of a weapon during a violent crime
Burglary
Assault and Battery

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department and Coroner’s Office were called to the jail for Randolph’s death.

Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said the death remains under investigation but the footage is being studied to create a timeline.

The sheriff’s department said it’s also investigating and provided its incident report.

Large sections of the report are redacted. RCSD spokesperson Maj. Maria Yturria said the information is being withheld because of the ongoing nature of the investigation.

2301026727_ASGDC by T R on Scribd

Randolph’s death is described as a murder in the report and the suspect(s) are unknown.

The deputy writing the report wrote he found in a cell unresponsive and “blood was located around the body.”

It’s not immediately clear if Randolph was in the correct cell.

The deputy wrote that he was told Randolph had refused to go to bond court before his death.

The rest of the narrative is largely redacted.

Randolph’s family declined to comment and the jail administration did not immediately return a request for comment.

Randolph’s death is the latest episode in a turbulent month for the jail.

RCSD deputies are also investigating a stabbing at the jail, viral videos showed alarming conditions at the jail, and a jail officer had an inappropriate relationship with a murder suspect.

Inmate James Mitchell died in December 2022.

2022 also saw significant leadership turnover and high-profile lawsuits.

In Sept. 2021, a riot at the jail left two officers hospitalized.

Interim Jail Director Crayman Harvey and Richland County Administrator Leonardo Brown did appear before the Richland County Council in December, touting staffing gains and plans to address the mental health needs of inmates.

“We’re caring for people. That’s where we’re at. We’re just going back to the basics of caring for people, no matter if they’re a criminal or if they’re staff. We’re caring for people,” Harvey said.

County Council Chair Overture Walker did not respond to a request for comment.

County council Detention Center Ad Hoc Committee members Allison Terracio and Cheryl English did not respond to a request for comment.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article's headline.

Stay up to date with WIS News 10. Get the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and Stream us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.