BUTNER
Sep 11, 2026
Johnny A. Church (#0961621) died Wednesday at Granville Correctional Institution in an apparent suicide.
He was found unresponsive in his cell around 10:50 a.m. Prison officers and medical staff responded, and EMS was called, but Church was pronounced deceased shortly after. He had been admitted to the state prison system on Aug. 19 from Caldwell County.
State Bureau of Investigation was notified of the death and is investigating, as is common in these circumstances. The Department of Adult Correction is cooperating fully in the investigation and is also conducting its own internal investigation.