Inmate, a murder suspect, charged with setting Wednesday fire at county jail

Published 2:52 pm Thursday, April 7, 2022

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NATCHEZ — Jordan Caston, 18, who is being held in the Adams County Jail for the murder of 16-year-old Marquez Brown, will now face fourth degree arson charges for starting a fire on Wednesday late afternoon at the Adams County Jail.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said his deputies’ investigation showed that Caston tore wires from a kiosk in the area in which he was held, created sparks that ignited toilet paper.

Inmate Jordan Caston

Caston allegedly used the burning toilet paper to set clothing and blankets on fire, which filled the third floor of the jail with smoke.

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“He did not have a lighter,” Patten said.

Patten said the area Caston chose to set the fire is not visible from a camera because of the blind spots created in the jail’s design.

Sheriff’s deputies had medical personnel come to the jail on Wednesday night and again this morning and check every inmate for injures or other harm from the smoke. No injuries were reported.

“Our staff did the best they could with what they had available. They used mop buckets full of water to put out the fire quickly. I commend our quick-thinking staff who were alert enough to take necessary actions to prevent this from becoming a major catastrophe,” Patten said.

The jail is not equipped with an automatic sprinkler system, which could have put out the fire.

Caston is accused of the Feb. 17 cold-blooded murder of Brown at Martin Luther King and Jackson streets. He is charged with first degree murder and discharging a weapon inside city limits.