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People gather to raise awareness after 18-year-old woman found dead in Madison County Jail cell

Police said Shellby Hall was taken into custody Nov. 9 for possessing meth and driving under the influence.

ANDERSON, Ind. — 13News is looking into the death of an 18-year-old inmate at the Madison County Jail. 

The woman's family is pushing for answers and wants to know what happened.

The people outside of the Madison County Sheriff's Office & Detention Center Wednesday carried signs with names written in bold black marker across stark white poster board.

One of those names was Shellby Hall, and 18-year-old who state police say died while sitting in her cell Saturday morning.

"She ate breakfast at 7:11, and at 7:30, they say she closed her eyes and kind of laid over like she was asleep, and there was a two-hour window where the child wasn't even checked on," said Sheela Hall, Shellby's mother.

Police said Hall was taken into custody Thursday for possessing meth and driving under the influence. And, Sheela admits, her daughter was struggling with addiction.

"I believe that Shellby may or may not have been high when she come into the jail. She may or may not have been going through some withdrawals, and I really believe that maybe her body or she'd been going through withdrawal so long and her heart couldn't handle it no more," Sheela said. "She just ... it just ... the poor baby couldn't handle it no more."

Credit: WTHR
People gathered outside of the Madison County Sheriff's Office & Detention Center carried signs with names written in bold black marker.

Stacey Cox was another name front and center for those holding signs at the corner of West 8th Street and Central Avenue in Anderson Wednesday.

"She died from the effects of coming down from her drugs," said Cox's mother, Deborah Harting.

Harting said Hall's death is a grim reminder of when she lost her daughter just over a year ago.

"It should never happen. Nobody should die in jail, any facility. Not only here, anywhere," Harting said. "No prisoner should die behind bars. They should be protected. They should be maintained and get the help when they need the help."

Credit: WTHR
Madison County Sheriff's Office & Detention Center, located at 720 Central Ave. in Anderson.

And as tears fill people's eyes and candles light up their signs, they hope their loved ones' death will promote change throughout the jail.

"I just want more medical. They need more medical in the jail. They need more medical," Hall said. "You're in the bubble, you should be watching the cameras. If you're sitting in the bubble to watch the camera and watch the block, that's what you should be doing."

The Madison County sheriff told 13News although the jail doesn't have a medical wing, Hall was in an infirmary cell that is monitored by video and also gets inspected by staff. 

As for the cause of the death, the coroner said he's still waiting for the autopsy and toxicology report.

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