Bessemer capital murder suspect found dead in cell at Jefferson County Jail

A 57-year-old man awaiting trial on a capital murder charge has died while in custody at the Jefferson County Jail in Bessemer. 205focus.com has confirmed that Joey Thomas Reach was discovered unresponsive in his private cell on Wednesday evening.

Investigation Into Death

According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, jail staff found Reach during a welfare check at 8:17 p.m. Despite efforts, he was pronounced dead at 8:53 p.m. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates stated that while an autopsy is pending to determine the official cause of death, there are currently no obvious signs of foul play.

Background on the Capital Murder Case

Reach had been held at the facility since July 6, following his arrest in connection with the fatal shooting of 46-year-old Matthew James Burdett. The incident took place early on the morning of July 5 in the 2800 block of Browning Road Southeast. First responders arrived to find Burdett wounded inside a vehicle in his driveway; he was subsequently transported to UAB Medical West, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Investigators indicated that the shooting stemmed from a financial dispute. Several witnesses identified Reach as the perpetrator, leading to his charge of capital murder due to the fact that the victim was shot while inside a vehicle.