Grenada Pastor and Bus Driver Facing Child Sex Charges Found Dead in Jail Cell; Investigation Underway

Grenada, Miss. (BuzzReport) — A Grenada pastor and former school bus driver who had been held in custody for more than two months on child sex-related charges was found dead early Wednesday morning inside the Grenada County Adult Detention Center, authorities confirmed.

According to Grenada County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Ricky Williamson II, correctional officers discovered Everett Lynn Welch Sr., pastor of Enon Baptist Church and a Grenada County School District bus driver, unresponsive in his jail cell on Wednesday, May 27. Welch was later pronounced deceased.

Welch had been in custody since his arrest in mid-March and remained incarcerated at the time of his death while facing multiple felony charges.

Court records show Welch’s most recent appearance took place on April 9, when his bond was significantly increased following the filing of additional charges. At that hearing, he was transported in handcuffs from the Grenada County Jail to Justice Court, where he appeared before Western District Justice Court Judge Vincent “Vince” Marascalco.

Welch was initially arrested on March 15 on warrants charging him with Touching of a Child for Lustful Purposes and Statutory Rape. Those initial charges carried bonds of $100,000 and $250,000, respectively. During the April 9 hearing, prosecutors added an additional count of Touching of a Child for Lustful Purposes, resulting in an additional $100,000 bond and raising his total bond to $450,000.

Authorities have not released details regarding the circumstances surrounding Welch’s death. Officials said the matter remains under investigation.

Chief Deputy Williamson stated that no further information will be released at this time as the investigation continues.