Tarrant County jail inmate dies after being found unresponsive in cell

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Tarrant County Jail

FORT WORTH, Texas - A 36-year-old inmate died after being found unresponsive in his cell at the Tarrant County jail.

What we know:

The sheriff’s office said the inmate, identified as John Barr, was found on Sunday.

Life-saving measures were taken until medical personnel arrived. However, Barr died at the hospital.

He had been arrested for a parole violation last Thursday.

What we don't know:

Barr’s cause of death is not yet known. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will provide that information following an autopsy.

By the numbers:

The Tarrant County jail came under scrutiny in 2025 because of the number of in-custody deaths and reporting delays.

Since 2017, when Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office, there have been more than 70 in-custody deaths, including that of Anthony Johnson Jr., a case that has resulted in the criminal indictment of several jail staff and prompted significant public outcry.

However, the number of in-custody deaths has gone down over the past few years. There were 17 deaths in 2020, partially due to COVID-19 infections. That number dropped to 13 in 2021 and 11 in 2022. It was down to just six in 2025, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office.

Texas jail death statistics shared by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office

This is the first in-custody death for the Tarrant County jail in 2026. 

Barr’s death will be investigated on both the local and state levels.