Full Notification

May 21, 2022 – A Harris County Jail inmate has died. An autopsy is being performed by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science to determine the cause and manner of death.

 Benjamin Pierce, 39, was found unresponsive in a single-person holding cell at the Joint Processing Center at about 4:25 a.m. Jail medical staff immediately began lifesaving efforts. He was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at about 5:31 a.m.

Pierce was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, 41- year old Leslie Pierce at their residence in west Harris County earlier on the morning of May 20, 2022.  Subsequently, Pierce was transported to the Harris County Jail.

The death is being investigated by the Houston Police Department in compliance with state law that requires all jail deaths to be investigated by an outside law enforcement agency.
The Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division is also investigating to determine whether all applicable policies and procedures were followed, which is standard following the death of an inmate. In addition, the death has been reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.