Lowndes County Coroner Seeks Answers in Suspicious Death

Cantrell Clay

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — Lowndes County authorities are investigating the death of a Columbus man.

Coroner Greg Merchant says 32-year-old Cantrell Clay died Sunday at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, where he’d been transferred Saturday night.

An autopsy is being conducted today.

Merchant says Clay was at a party Friday night, and was dropped off at a friend’s apartment at about 1 a.m. Saturday behind the Trotter Convention Center. Clay apparently tried to call the friend on the phone at about that time but the friend didn’t answer.

At about 7 a.m. Saturday, the friend went outside and found Clay lying unconscious on the pavement behind the apartment and called Clay’s family.

About 12 hours later, when Clay’s condition didn’t improve, the family took him to Baptist Golden Triangle and he was transferred to Tupelo.

Merchant says their weren’t any major signs of trauma. He said if Clay fell down steps from the friend’s door, it would have been about seven feet.