Lee County inmate charged with murder in death of cellmate

An inmate at the Lee County Jail has been charged with murder in the death of his cellmate.

Sheriff Jay Jones said a grand jury indicted 26-year-old Jimmy Jenkins, Jr., of Tuskegee for murder last month.

Jones said on July 20, 2024, inmate Shawn Dewon Callaway, 39, of Auburn was found dead inside his cell at the Lee County Detention Center.

Jones said it is standard  procedure for the sheriff’s office to request an independent agency to conduct an investigation into the death of an inmate. He said an autopsy revealed that Callaway died of asphyxia due to neck compression.

During the investigation, Jones said Russell County investigators determined that Jenkins was involved in the death. The two were cellmates at the jail.

Today, Jenkins was served with the indictment and is being held without bond.