An inmate in the East Arkansas Regional Unit in Brickeys was found hanging from a vent in his cell Wednesday morning, an Arkansas Department of Correction spokesman said.
Charles T. Burson, 27, was pronounced dead at 8:53 a.m. Wednesday, spokesman Cathy Frye said.
A control-booth correctional officer noticed unusual activity coming from Burson's cell at about 8:32 a.m. The officer called for backup to investigate.
Burson was found hanging from the vent by a bedsheet. Officers performed CPR until the unit's medical staff arrived to continue resuscitation efforts.
The death is being investigated by the Arkansas State Police.
Burson, who entered the prison system in 2012, was serving a 20-year sentence out of Clark County for aggravated residential burglary and kidnapping convictions.
On April 29, 2011, the Arkadelphia Police Department received a call that Burson had been holding juvenile girls and their mother hostage at gunpoint. Burson entered the home at 11 p.m. the night before, armed with a revolver, and hid in a downstairs bedroom overnight, authorities said.
According to court records, Burson said one of the girls, who was 15 at the time, had recently ended a sexual relationship with him.
The officers persuaded Burson to walk out of the residence. The captives were unharmed.
Metro on 11/26/2015