Man arrested for controlled substance homicide connected to jail inmate death
EPHRATA, Wash. (13DEC2018) -- A 35-year-old Moses Lake man was booked into the Grant County Jail on Tuesday in connection with an investigation of controlled substance homicide stemming from the August 2018 death of a fellow Grant County Jail inmate.
Jordan D. Tebow, who was incarcerated in the jail on Saturday August 11, had been an inmate along with 34-year-old Derek A. Batton. Batton was found unconscious in the jail dorm and pronounced dead the following morning around 10:45 a.m.
Tebow came to the attention of investigators when he was caught by a Corrections Deputy on August 13 giving drugs to another inmate. Investigators later interviewed Tebow and other inmates and believe Tebow was responsible for bringing heroin, Suboxone (a narcotic used for pain relief and to treat opioid addiction) and sleeping pills into the jail when he was booked on August 10. Witnesses also reported that Tebow had given drugs to Batton as well as other inmates.
Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison in September deemed Batton died due to “acute morphine intoxication (likely heroin)”.
Tebow was booked into the Grant County Jail for a warrant for controlled substance homicide, possession/delivery of heroin, intimidating a witness and being a prisoner in possession of drugs. He was released on $5,000 bond.
Since Batton’s death, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office has purchased a full-body scanner and a mail scanner intended to stop the entry of contraband into the jail. The mail scanner is installed now; the full-body scanner will be installed by the end of December.
The body scanner will be used to screen inmates during the booking process. The mail scanner will be used to screen incoming inmate mail, except for legal documents such as those from an inmate’s attorney.
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