Death in custody investigation underway in Webb City
A death in custody investigation is underway in Webb City after a woman was found dead in a city jail cell.
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The following release was issued by Webb City Police Chief, Don Melton:
On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at approximately 5:15 p.m., officers with the Webb City Police Department were preparing to transport an arrestee—a 41-year-old female from Joplin, Missouri—from the Webb City Jail to the Jasper County Jail when they discovered her unresponsive in her cell.
Officers immediately initiated CPR and requested medical assistance from the Webb City Fire Department and METS Ambulance Service. Despite extensive life-saving efforts by emergency personnel, the individual was pronounced deceased.
The Jasper County Coroner’s Office and investigators from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control have been contacted to conduct a thorough, independent investigation into the cause of death. We are fully cooperating with their efforts. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
No names will be released until next of kin have been notified.
