Wake County inmate dies in custody, the third in 30 days
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- Wake County jail recorded three in-custody deaths within one month.
- Sheriff's Office and State Bureau of Investigation opened separate probes into each death.
- Medical Examiner will determine causes after resuscitation attempts.
A Wake County inmate died early Monday morning after a “medical emergency,” the Sheriff’s Office said, the third death at the county jail in over 30 days.
Detention officers noticed that Orin Gist, 62, was suffering from an unidentified medical emergency and attempted life-saving measures. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
The State Bureau of Investigation will investigate, which is common practice for an in-custody death. The Sheriff’s Office also will conduct its own investigation.
Gist, who was homeless prior to his arrest, had been charged with felony indecent exposure in front of a minor, according to a Sept.. 24, 2024, warrant from the Raleigh Police Department.
The two other reported deaths at the Wake County jail in recent weeks include:
- On Oct. 11, Alvin Saunders, 33, was found unresponsive in his cell at 7:20 a.m., the sheriff’s office said in a statement. A cause of death has not been announced. He had been in the jail since March 2, when he was arrested and charged on six counts including felony assault on a person with a disability, The News & Observer previously reported.
- On Oct. 29, Jeffrey Paul Paske, 34, of Raleigh was found unresponsive in his cell at 5:30 a.m. He had been in jail since Oct. 5 on a charge of breaking and entering a vehicle with theft, and other charges, according to court records. He was convicted of a misdemeanor and was sentenced to 120 days in the Wake County jail, The N&O reported, citing court records. Richard Paske, Jeffrey’s father, told The N&O, his son struggled with mental health issues.
This story was originally published November 10, 2025 at 6:21 PM.