Nationwide — Ja’Keisa Knox, a 29-year-old African American mother from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has died in jail while awaiting trial on a felony child abuse charge linked to her 9-month-old son’s death. Authorities said she suffered a medical emergency at the Tuscaloosa County Jail before being taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said Knox experienced the medical emergency on Tuesday night. According to WBRC, jail personnel arranged for her to be taken to DCH Regional Medical Center, but medical staff pronounced her dead after she arrived. The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials have not released further details about the medical emergency or identified its cause.
Knox had been in custody following the death of her infant son, Sakai Howard, in late June 2026. Investigators said she called 911 around 4 p.m. on June 30 after returning to her apartment on 21st Avenue East and finding the baby unresponsive. Emergency responders arrived and transported the child by ambulance to DCH Regional Medical Center, where he later died. During the investigation, Knox told authorities she was her son’s sole caregiver. She said she had left him alone at home around 8 a.m. while she went to work and returned approximately eight hours later. When she arrived home, she found him unresponsive and called for emergency assistance.
Medical staff who examined the infant reported that he had multiple physical injuries, was severely underweight, and showed signs of malnutrition. These findings raised concerns about the child’s condition before his death and prompted medical personnel to contact the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit. Investigators then began looking into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Knox remained in the county jail while facing the felony child abuse charge. Her death has prompted a separate investigation into what happened while she was in custody. Meanwhile, authorities have not released additional information about the cause of her death or announced any new developments in the investigation into her son’s death.