ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Amy Beth Owenby, 42, died on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, after she displayed signs of medical distress following her booking into the Buncombe County Detention Facility. Her death marked the second BCDF detainee death in August and the third overall in 2026.
Owenby was booked into the BCDF just after 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, on outstanding warrants. Just before 9 p.m. that evening, Owenby was transferred to Mission Hospital, where she was released on bond but remained hospitalized until Aug. 31, when she passed away.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office has notified the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office of Owenby’s death and expressed their condolences to her family.
The NCSBI will conduct an independent review of the circumstances surrounding Owenby’s death.
Buncombe County Detention Facility sees 3 deaths in 2026
Owenby was the second BCDF detainee to die in August 2026. The first was Douglas Michael Stroupe, 33, who was found unresponsive in his cell on Aug. 24, 2026, the same day Owenby was booked. Stroupe was pronounced dead on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026.
Earlier this year, a detainee named Grey Hester died after a medical emergency. Hester was transported to a hospital on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, where he was pronounced dead.
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