Woman Arrested After Inmate She Kissed During Prison Visit Dies Mysteriously

Aug 17, 2022

A Tennessee woman has been arrested following an inmate’s death — after she allegedly gave him the literal kiss of death??

OK, it’s not as supernatural as it sounds. According to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, back in February a visitor by the name of Rachal Dollard was caught passing drugs to inmate Joshua Brown through her mouth as the two shared a kiss. However guards were not able to retrieve the “package.” Brown swallowed the balloon pellet.

That illicit kiss turned out to be fatal. Brown later died at the local hospital of an apparent drug overdose. The pellet was found out to have contained half an ounce of methamphetamine he was trying to sneak into the prison!

Rachal was taken into custody over the weekend following Joshua’s death earlier this year. It’s unclear why it took so long for law enforcement to capture the woman, but it may have something to do with only recently being able to obtain a warrant from a sealed indictment in Hickman County. It seems like they’d be able to get a warrant sooner, though, considering there were eyewitnesses to the crime… Maybe it was the evidence disappearing that made it difficult to get a judge to sign off?

The evidence, of course, is what killed Brown. Dollard has now been charged not just with introduction of contraband into a penal facility but also with second-degree murder for the deadly kiss.

Brown had reportedly been serving 11 years on drug-related charges and had only served four before his death — his sentence was set to expire in 2029. The Director of TDOC’s Office of Investigations and Conduct David Imhof said in a public statement the agency will “pursue prosecution against any individual” who compromises the safety of staff and inmates alike:

“This incident points to the real dangers of introducing contraband into prisons and the consequences that follow. Our agency will pursue prosecution against any individual who threatens the safety and security of our staff, the men and women in our custody, and our facilities.”

The department also assured visitors of the facility body scanners are “currently being placed” in all areas. They also urge anyone with safety concerns to contact them immediately so this never happens again.

In case you didn’t know, meth is the top cause of drug overdoses worldwide. In 2018 it was reported to have been the cause of nearly 68,000 overdoses in the United States alone. An acute meth overdose can cause anything from violent seizures to heart attacks. It’s a seriously dangerous substance — and passing it to someone else through a kiss so they can swallow it only makes it more volatile!

What an unbelievable situation! What do U think, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below).

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please reach out to SAMHSA at 1-800-662-4357.

[Image via Tennessee Department of Corrections]

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