SHELBY, NC (WBTV) - A Cleveland County man who was found guilty of felony child abuse last week in the death of his toddler stepson has been found dead in jail.
According to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, Dwight Justice was found dead in the Cleveland County Detention Center early Tuesday morning at 5:15 a.m. Deputies say they suspect natural causes in Justice's death.
Officials say Justice was alive at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning when the jailer was doing rounds. Later, Justice's cellmate told a jailer that he usually snored, but wasn't snoring and should be checked on.
The jailer couldn't find a pulse on Justice. Sheriff's deputies say suicide is not suspected in his death.
Justice was awaiting sentencing after he was found guilty of felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury in the 2009 death of 2-year-old Jeremiah Swafford. Justice, who was also facing murder charges, was found not guilty of first degree murder.
"During the course of the trial preparation and actual trial, Stacy (Dwight) was more concerned about the welfare of his son Curtis who has been affected with the disease since birth of Spina Bifida," his family released in a statement on Tuesday.
"Stacy had sole custody of Curtis and with the help of his family took excellent care of his son," the statement continued. "After the jury's verdict and he was incarcerated, Stacy wrote a letter containing in the last paragraph, the following: 'Yes, I am innocent and have been wrongly convicted, but I believe God controls all things and he put me here to learn something that will make me better for having had to go through this'."
The verdicts come after the jury struggled last week to reach an agreement during deliberations.
Justice's wife, Kathy Lynn Swafford, is also facing murder and felony child abuse charges in Jeremiah's death.
During closing arguments in Justice's trial, Defense attorney Ted Cummings told jurors Jeremiah died at the hands of his own mother. Cummings says Swafford slammed Jeremiah's head into the family's couch and on the following day, beat him in the forehead with a flashlight when Justice wasn't home.
Her trial is scheduled for March.
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