From staff reports

Four inmates in the Lamar County Jail are now facing additional charges involving the possession of dangerous weapons.

Michael Yost and Ronald Smith, both charged with murder in two separate cases, along with Jesse Sebastian and James Whisman, both facing drug-related charges in Kentucky and Lamar County, who are contesting extradition back to Kentucky, are the inmates involved.

All of the charges were for weapons in the inmates’ possession. No drugs or alcohol were found.

Although all four men are currently incarcerated, each was denied bond on the new charges they are facing.

Officers of the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office took the warrants after conducting a skakedown of all the cells following an incident where inmates flushed foreign matter down a toilet causing a sewage back-up. Officers found where inmates took trash bags, stretched and braided them into two five foot sections of makeshift cord. A piece of dental floss tied between two toothbrushes making a potential weapon was also discovered. A sheet that had been torn into strips and tied together making a rope was also found.

All these items are commonly found around the home, but fashioned as weapons, these household items can become deadly. A garrote pulled around an officer’s neck would incapacitate the officer in a matter of seconds and result in asphyxiation in a short time.

The ropes could be used for similar purposes or be used to aid in escape. The handbook issued to inmates prohibits alteration of any issued supplies or equipment, but only constant supervision can prevent escape attempts.

Currently housed in the Lamar County Jail are 84 inmates, including four accused of murder, two accused of aggravated assault, 11 charged with burglary or theft, four facing armed robbery charges, one for rape, three for child molestation or cruelty to children, 16 for drug violations, 24 for probation violations and nine for failure to pay child support.

In the Lamar County Jail, inmates are classified and housed separately, classified according to their level of violence and other considerations.