CULLMAN, Ala. – The man taken to an area hospital late Friday night, Oct. 25 after attempting suicide in the Cullman County Detention Center has died. Cullman County Coroner Jeremy L. Kilpatrick confirmed that Matthew LeWayne Clayton, 30, of Prospect Mountain was pronounced dead Tuesday after succumbing to his injuries.
“Detention deputies immediately took lifesaving action by performing CPR, administering the AED, and other life saving measures,” said a statement from the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Saturday morning.
“This is a horrible and sad situation. We had been monitoring Mr. Clayton and checking on him as much as humanly possible. I would like to commend those detention deputies who found Mr. Clayton and didn’t hesitate to act to save his life. We don’t know what his ultimate condition will be, but those detention deputies went above and beyond in that moment,” said Sheriff Matt Gentry.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is handling the investigation into the incident at the jail.
Background
Two people died and one was critically injured in a shooting and knife attack at a residence along the 8500 block of County Road 223 in the community of Prospect Mountain Monday, Oct. 21.
Cullman County Coroner Jeremy L. Kilpatrick the next day identified the two deceased victims as Thomas Frank Dewille, 76, of Owens Cross Roads and Rollan Frank Edwards, 75, of Prospect Mountain. Dewille was pronounced dead at the scene. Edwards died after being transported to UAB Hospital in Birmingham.
The third victim, Jody Jay Tudor, 48, of Prospect Mountain remains in UAB Hospital in critical condition.
Clayton was charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. He was picked up by Alabama State Troopers and the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office the night of the incident on Interstate 65. He was extradited to Cullman County, where he was being held in the Cullman County Detention Center without bond.
Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry said in a press conference Tuesday, Oct. 22 that the three victims and the suspect knew each other and that at least two of them are related.
“We do know that the individuals were all known to each other,” said Gentry. “The motive, we believe, or what we’re starting to learn, was something that happened in the past. We’re still working with investigators to determine all the incidents, what we believed happened.”
Gentry took time to praise the work done by law enforcement and other first responders.
“Throughout any horrific tragedy, any horrific incident that we deal with in law enforcement,” he said, “one of the things that I noticed yesterday, and over the last 20 years in law enforcement, is how those first responders, how the men and women of the sheriff’s office and those first responders who arrive on scene run in without fear.”
The sheriff reminded the media that Cullman deputies each work 150 square miles alone.
He continued, “Those deputies and first responders arrived on scene without hesitation. When you’re talking about something like this, and they are arriving by themselves to an unknown situation, that takes courage.”
Gentry said the three victims lived together and the suspect was a neighbor. He said the three victims had lived together for many years.
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