Inmate serving life sentence found dead at Bessemer prison

Inmates sit in a treatment dorm at Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore, Ala., Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Department of Justice has threatened to sue Alabama over excessive violence and other problems in state prisons for male inmates. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)

by: Peter Curi

Posted: Aug 9, 2021 / 10:01 AM CDT

Updated: Aug 9, 2021 / 10:02 AM CDT

BESSEMER, Ala. (WIAT) — An inmate at William Donaldson Correctional Facility who was serving a life sentence for a 2010 assault conviction out of Russell County was found dead in his cell Saturday.

Bobby Jack Welch, 46, of Bessemer, was found unresponsive and was taken to the prison infirmary for assessment and treatment. Welch was transported to Brookwood Baptist Medical Center for further treatment, but died the following day.

The circumstances surrounding the death are being investigated by the Alabama Department of Corrections.