Clarkton man arrested last week on drug charges identified as inmate suicide

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office has released the identity of the inmate found dead of an apparent suicide last week.

Investigators say Andrew James Ellis, 37, was found unconscious in the Columbus County Detention Center on Thursday.

Staff performed CPR until Whiteville Rescue arrived. Ellis was pronounced dead at Columbus Regional Healthcare System.

Ellis was arrested just days earlier, on April 16 in Clarkton, after investigators found marijuana plants growing at a home on Mercer Mill Road. 

He faced several drug charges and was being held under a $30,000 bond.

Ellis’ cause of death is pending autopsy.