Buncombe County Sheriff's Office : Detainee Found Unresponsive in Cell, Passes Away

Buncombe County -- Buncombe County Sheriff's Office  (October 30, 2021) –

At approximately 3:30 a.m. this morning a Detention Officer was conducting supervision rounds and observed a detainee unresponsive on the floor of his cell. Detention staff and EMS attempted to revive Jesse Lee Owenby, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced deceased before being transported by EMS.
Mr. Owenby was age 49 at the time of his death. His next of kin has been notified of his passing and offered our condolences.
The SBI and Buncombe County District Attorney have been notified. The SBI will conduct an independent investigation as is standard practice.