Teen charged in Durham murder found dead inside jail cell
DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Authorities in Durham County say a 17-year-old girl charged in a Durham murder was found unresponsive inside her jail cell Thursday morning.
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Detectives with the Durham County Sheriff's Office were called to the detention facility around 3:30 a.m. about an apparent suicide.
When they arrived, they found Uniece Glenae Fennell unresponsive after she was discovered by the detention center's staff. Paramedics later pronounced her dead at the scene.
Officials said preliminary evidence indicates that the cause of Fennell's death was suicide.
Fennell entered the detention facility in July 2016 after she was arrested and charged with murder.
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Weeks later, she was indicted for discharging a weapon into an occupied residence and discharging a firearm with a pattern of street gang activity, according to detention facility records.
The Durham County Sheriff's Office said it is notifying the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) about Fennell's death, which is standard protocol, and the State Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy.
Meanwhile, the Durham County Sheriff's Office is conducting a death investigation.
