State report reveals deaths of two East Texas jail inmates

CHEROKEE COUNTY — The Texas Attorney General’s office has released the custodial death reports for two women who died at the Cherokee County Jail. According to our news partner KETK, Aiydasani Mahogany Bryant, 21, was being held on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge when she collapsed in a medical cell at 8:41 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2023, according to a report. The report said correctional officers entered her cell two minutes later at 8:43 p.m. to try and get her off of the ground. Bryant was helped to her feet before reportedly falling to the ground again. At that point, correctional officers reportedly sat her up and called for EMS, who arrived and spoke with her. According to the report, Bryant was speaking when she collapsed again. EMS then began trying to save her life before transporting her to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, a custodial death report said. Bryant’s cause of death was listed as “bilateral pulmonary thromboemboli.”

Clara Edwards, 75, was reportedly being held in a Cherokee County Jail cell on an aggravated assault with deadly weapon charge when she died at 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 22, 2021. A custodial death report said that Edwards was found dead in her cell while cell checks were being done. Edward’s cause of death is unknown, pending the release of her autopsy results, the report said.