Royce D. Sykes, 46, of De Soto died Monday morning (April 15) of apparent cardiac arrest at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Sykes also has lived in Festus, according to court records.
He had been held at the jail since March 2 for a probation violation. He was on probation after pleading guilty to felony drug charges stemming from a May 2017 incident in Jefferson County, court records show.
Sykes had a history of complaints about chest pains while in the jail and was taken to an area hospital “numerous times” where he was examined each time before being returned to the jail, Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said in a written statement.
Sykes’ body has been released to the Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation in the cause of death, the report said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sykes family,” Marshak said.