Inmate died from COVID-19 complications, autopsy shows

By , Daily Memphian Updated: February 10, 2026 3:10 PM CT | Published: February 10, 2026 3:09 PM CT

An inmate from the Shelby County Jail died from COVID-19 complications and heart disease in November, according to his official autopsy report.

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Shelby County Jail 201 Poplar inmate death
Aarron Fleming

Aarron Fleming

Once an intern, he never left, joining the staff full-time in 2022 as an education reporter. He moved to public safety in 2023, where he covered some of the city’s biggest court cases, including the criminal trials for those charged in the deaths of Tyré Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also chronicled the Shelby County Jail and the deaths that have occurred at the facility.

He now provides suburban coverage, focusing on DeSoto County and the surrounding municipalities.

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