Inmate killed at Gib Lewis

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By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – An inmate at the Gib Lewis Unit was killed on Saturday by his cellmate, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The deceased was identified as Jimmy Lynn White, a 61-year-old Red River County resident who was serving a six-year sentence on a possession of controlled substance charge out of his county of residence.

A TDCJ spokesman, Robert Hurst, reported that White died in the medical facility at the prison. The identity of the cellmate has not been released by TDCJ, and no charges have been filed.

Reportedly, White was scheduled to be released soon. His TDCJ records show that he was eligible for parole as of Feb. 19 of this year.

Earlier this year, another Gib Lewis inmate, Danny Luken, 56, who was serving a life sentence plus 84 years, was fatally injured by cellmate Jason Mark Ryder. Ryder was subsequently charged with his death.

Also of recent note, in August of last year, 42-year-old Justin Levi Galloway was killed at the prison. His death was initially reported as a suicide, but later ruled to be a homicide. A death certificate obtained by the Booster stated that, under a description of injury, was a listing of “noose around neck causing asphyxiation.”

On June 27, 2023, another death, of a guard, was reported, due to a self-inflicted injury.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a total of 4,234 people died in state and federal prisons in 2019, which is the most recent year statistics are available. Of that number, 143 were homicides.