DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — State officials have identified a man who died on Friday night after a fire in his cell.
The South Carolina Department of Corrections said 33-year-old David Viron Garrett died at Lieber Correctional Institution in Dorchester County. Authorities said a small fire occurred in his cell but didn't elaborate on how it happened.
In its statement, the state agency said attempts were made to save Garrett, but he died. Authorities said he did not have a cellmate.
The department said an autopsy is planned to confirm his official cause of death. The South Carolina Department of Corrections Inspector General's Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Dorchester County Coroner's Office are investigating the death.
No additional information was available regarding Garrett's death as of Saturday evening.
Garrett was serving a decades-long sentence for murder, first-degree burglary and armed robbery related to an incident in Spartanburg County with a projected release date in 2052.
