Grand jury no-bills county inmate death case

A Young County grand jury this month no-billed the case of an inmate death that occurred in March 2023 at the Young County Jail. The determination was made following the completion of an investigation from the Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers.

Brandon Taylor, 31, of Mineral Wells, was found unresponsive in an administrative segregation cell March 21, 2023.

Once completed, the Texas Rangers investigation was forwarded to the office of the 90th Judicial District Attorney and presented to a grand jury in November 2023 where the no-bill determination was made.

“We didn’t have any defendants listed on that,” District Attorney Dee Peavy said. “It was more of an investigative presentation that, if we needed to go forward and have actual defendants on this, we presented all of the facts of what occurred and they no-billed the whole jail death case.”

According to a DPS release, jail staff attempted to revive Taylor at the jail until EMS arrived. He was transported to Graham Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

“...The initial investigation revealed it was apparent Taylor committed suicide while housed alone in an administrative segregation. The circumstances surrounding the suicide remain under investigation by the Texas Rangers,” Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Marc Couch said in a previous release.

According to the Young County Blotter, Taylor was arrested Sept. 1, 2022, for a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief at the 2100 block of Hwy. 16 South in Graham.

An additional affidavit for an arrest warrant was filed Wednesday, Feb. 22 against Taylor for assault on a public servant for an assault that allegedly took place inside the Young County Jail. The affidavit alleges Taylor assaulted a Young County detention officer when the officer entered the cell to retrieve Taylor’s dinner trays.

The reporting officer stated the detention officer had a busted lip and blood on their shirt. The affidavit states the detention officer was in a Young County-issued work shirt with patches on each shoulder that stated “SHERIFF.”

Taylor was indicted on the first-degree felony charge of aggravated assault against a public servant March 14, 2023. The same day, his bond amount was raised to a total amount of $131,000.

A motion was filed March 24, 2023 by the district attorney’s office to dismiss the felony case due to the defendant being deceased.