LICKING, Mo. — An inmate at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking has died.
According to a press release, Nathan Emery, 25, was pronounced dead at 12:59 a.m. Emery was serving a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled substance exceeding 35 grams from Ray County.
Emery was received in the Missouri Department of Corrections on September 10, 2020.
According to Texas County Coroner Marie Lasater, an autopsy will be performed on April 10 to determine the cause of death.
The initial drug screen was negative, according to Lasater, but the coroner said that xylazine would not show up on the initial test.
In 2022, 12 inmates died at the prison, several from overdosing on fentanyl and xylazine.
The prison also reported that Alan Lancaster died on January 28, 2023.
