Shelby County Jail inmate died from heart failure, autopsy finds

By , Daily Memphian Updated: January 16, 2026 12:39 PM CT | Published: January 16, 2026 12:39 PM CT

According to an official autopsy report, heart disease claimed Antonio First, who died Nov. 1 at the Shelby County Jail.

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201 Poplar antonio first 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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