Death toll rises to nine after two more inmates killed at Mississippi State Penitentiary

PARCHMAN, Miss. (AP/WXXV) — Two inmates were killed at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman on Monday night.

In a statement Tuesday morning, the Mississippi Department of Corrections said, “Two inmates were killed in Parchman last night. At this moment, it appears to be an isolated incident—not a continuation of the recent retaliatory killings. The Parchman chaplain has reached out to the next of kin. We are investigating further now. When we compile details and feel confident that information is accurate, we will quickly share more.”

Last week, the Sunflower County Coroner reported an inmate died after being found hanging at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, which was a focus of recent deadly unrest.

Coroner Heather Burton said in a statement Sunday that Gabriel Carmen was found hanging the previous evening by officers, who reported the inmate had been irate and throwing feces earlier that day.

Between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3, five inmates were killed and an undisclosed number of others were injured in violence inside the prisons that has posed a challenge to authorities.