Inmate serving assault conviction dies in Mississippi prison

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – An inmate serving a 30-year sentence for assault has died in the hospital of the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections says no foul play is suspected in the Thursday death of 61-year-old Lamar Kitchens. An autopsy will be done.

Kitchens is at least the 28th Mississippi inmate to die since late December. Some died amid outbursts of violence, and the state prison system is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.

Kitchens was sentenced Nov. 20, 2008, for two counts of aggravated assault in Winston County.