The family of a Columbus man who died last week after being transported from jail to a local hospital held a press conference Friday to address what they called “a great mystery concerning the death of our loved one.”
Orlando Guyton, 41, was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle from the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center last Sunday morning after suffering “medical issues” while in custody, according to authorities. He was pronounced dead at the hospital about 11:15 a.m. last Sunday, according to his family.
The family, along with several friends and elected officials from Lowndes County and Columbus, gathered in front of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department on Friday morning. In all, about 30 people attended.
“We come today not to lay needless blame on anyone but to proclaim as a family that we have the right to demand the facts — to be heard and not overlooked — in our search for the truth and respect for human life,” Elizabeth Guyton, one of Orlando Guyton’s sisters, said during the conference.
Orlando Guyton, who lived at 1173 Yorkville Road, was arrested a little more than a week ago in connection with a burglary at an Applewood Drive residence. LCSD investigators say the home’s tenant found Guyton inside the home “covered in blood” before he fled the scene.
Authorities found Guyton in the neighborhood a short while later “bleeding profusely from his body” and took him to the hospital, where he was treated and released back to LCSD. Guyton, who was facing a felony charge of burglary for the incident, then spent two days in jail before being taken back to the hospital, where he ultimately died.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.
“We believe that there is a great mystery concerning the death of our loved one…while in the custody of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department,” Elizabeth Guyton said. “We are now looking for truthful answers, to pursue an outside investigation and any legal remedies needed. We pray for truth and justice to come out of this process.”
A MBI spokesperson told The Dispatch last week that Guyton’s death appeared to be “natural.” Reached on Saturday, Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said a preliminary autopsy report indicates Guyton died of natural causes. Merchant said he updated Guyton’s family Wednesday morning.
Jeannette Guyton Manning, another of Orlando Guyton’s sisters, said that in the hours following her brother’s death “nobody told us anything.”
“That was the most devastating thing,” she said. “We’re not trying to blame anybody for anything because we know our brother and he did things that he did not have any business doing. But we loved him.”
Jeannette Guyton Manning said the family feels it can not have closure until it knows the truth.
“I think anybody would want that when a loved one dies,” she said.
Lowndes County supervisor Leroy Brooks, along with Columbus councilmen Joseph Mickens, Marty Turner and Kabir Karriem, attended Friday’s press conference. Only Brooks spoke, saying the Guyton family had called him.
“I don’t have any more facts than they do,” he said. “His family members want to know the truth so they can have some closure. It’s not about blaming anybody or finger pointing…I think that is only fair in view of the fact that they have lost a loved one. We want to give our sympathy to the family…and we hope that some closure comes.”
Kamal Karriem, who helped organize the press conference, said one of his concerns is that the Guyton family feels “overlooked.”
“The first concern was, there was no reaching out to them by any of the authorities involved,” he said. “That threw up a flag right there. Secondly, the family just wants closure. Given the gravity of community-police relations that we have now in this country, I think it is all our responsibility…that we should help facilitate that.”
Merchant said the case is not closed, adding that other tests, including a toxicology report, have not yet been completed. MBI officials also say the investigation continues.
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.