Child sex offender found hanging in his jail cell, Harrison County sheriff says

Correctional officers at the Harrison County jail found an inmate hanging in cell Friday morning, according to a release from Sheriff Troy Peterson.

Jared Anthony Epperson was found at 11:52 a.m., about 30 minutes after lunch was served.

Peterson said Epperson was alone in his room when he was given lunch.

Officers on scene conducted CPR on Epperson and he regained a pulse, Peterson said, and he was taken to Garden Park Hospital by American Medical Response.

Epperson was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. at the hospital.

Epperson was serving five years in prison at the Harrison County jail for a probation violation. He was arrested on July 27, 2017.

He was homeless at the time of his arrested.

Epperson was a child sex offender. He had been convicted of touching a child for lustful purposes and sexual battery in Harrison County in July 2009. He was also convicted of indecent behavior with a juvenile in Lafayette, Louisiana, in June 2008.

Sun Herald reporter Robin Fitzgerald contributed to this report.

This story was originally published August 11, 2017 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Child sex offender found hanging in his jail cell, Harrison County sheriff says."