Jail Inmate Death Investigated

LONGVIEW � Sheriff�s investigators and the Texas Rangers are investigating the early morning death of a woman who was in custody at the Gregg County Jail. Staff members found Amy Lynn Cowling, 33, of Gilmer unresponsive in a separation cell at the North facility before midnight Tuesday. Cowling was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center and was deceased on arrival. �Late Tuesday night, jailers discovered Cowling, and a team from the Medical Staff responded and immediately administered CPR to her,� Captain Mike Claxton said. Longview Fire Department paramedics were called to the facility at 12:22 a.m. and had picked up Cowling and arrived at the hospital trauma room by 12:39 a.m. Cowling had been in custody since December 24, 2010.

Sheriff�s procedure is that custodial death investigations are worked by the Rangers with assistance from Sheriff investigators. Judge B.H. Jameson ordered an autopsy examination be performed on Cowling at the Southeast Texas Forensic Center at Tyler. Authorities say it is likely that the results of that procedure will be learned in the coming days.