DOTHAN, AL. (THECOUNT) — Carlton James Mathis, the man jailed over the death of his infant son C.J., was found dead in his Dothan, Alabama, jail cell on Saturday, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Jail records list Mathis, 30, as the subject of a “death in custody” investigation at the Houston County Jail occurring early Saturday morning, according to reports.
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Sources confirm that Mathis was was jailed on numerous charges, the primary charge the alleged accidental drug-overdose death of his infant son.
Little C.J., was around half a year old at the time of his death and died after accidentally ingesting methamphetamine. Mathis and the child’s mother, Amanda Gail Oakes, was in possession of the dangerous drug while staying at the InTown Inn and Suites in Dothan.
Following the child’s death, Oakes and Mathis wrapped the baby’s body and stuffed him in a freezer when the baby’s body began to rot. Investigators believed he was in the freezer for at least five days.
“There’s no way for an infant to defend itself,” Lt. Lynn Watkins said following Mathis’ violent arrest. “That infant is completely dependant on its parents. In this case, this infant was failed by its parents,” reports DothanFirst.
After hiding the body, the parents were later found in Bronson, Florida, while leaving an apartment building.
A SWAT team member shot Mathis after he reportedly brandished a weapon.
He recovered and was set for trial in September.
A cause of death was not provided by jail officials.
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Geo quick facts: Dothan is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the county seat of Houston County and the seventh largest city in Alabama, with a population of 65,496 at the 2010 census – Wikipedia.