Man’s death in Clay County jail under investigation by sheriff’s office

An investigation into the death of a man in custody at the Clay County jail earlier this summer will be completed when authorities obtain the results of an autopsy, according to county officials.

Brian Parisi, 26, died June 1 while being held at the jail on a drug charge, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office is conducting a criminal investigation of Parisi’s death.

Originally from Virginia, Parisi listed a Kansas City address when he was booked into the jail on April 1, said Jon Bazzano, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

Clay County authorities had not issued a public statement about Parisi’s death before this week. It was the only death at the jail this year, Bazzano said.

An obituary published in The Washington Post listed Parisi’s hometown as Bristow, Va.

Parisi had pleaded guilty in May to a misdemeanor drug paraphernalia charge, according to court records. Last year, he had been booked into the Johnson County jail in Kansas on a misdemeanor theft charge. A check of court records showed no charges related to violent offenses.

The autopsy report is being prepared by the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office.

This story was originally published August 29, 2017 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Man’s death in Clay County jail under investigation by sheriff’s office."