The Cleveland County Sheriff Office issued a statement Tuesday regarding the death of an inmate at the detention center Sunday.
The release states an inmate experienced a medical emergency Sunday evening, with detention officers responding while following emergency response protocols.
It states despite life-saving measures and the presence of additional emergency medical personnel, the inmate, Matthew Alexander Wilbanks, died. The Oklahoma State Courts Network indicates his last name may be spelled Willbanks. This story will be updated when the county confirms the spelling.
Wilbanks’ death is under investigation by the sheriff’s office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, according to the statement, and the state medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Wilbanks’ death is one in a string of deaths at the detention center in recent years.
On Monday, Cleveland County Commissioners discussed in executive session a potential settlement agreement in a federal lawsuit regarding the December 2022 detention center death of Shannon Hanchett. The case was filed by Hanchett’s widower, Daniel Hanchett. The outcome of the executive session is not known at this time.
In a July interview with OU Daily, Cleveland County Sheriff Darrell Weaver spoke on the October 2024 death of inmate Alex Wright. Weaver said detention staff will adhere to the Jail Standards Act, which he carried while serving in the state Senate.
The act requires facilities to adopt policies regarding operation aspects, including 24-hour prisoner supervision and ensuring proper diet and sanitary conditions.
“There's unfortunate deaths in there, and we're going to try to dissect. And that was before my time. I wasn't there, but I realize the responsibility now, it is my time, and I shoulder that. And we're going to do everything we can to keep everyone in that facility safe,” Weaver said. “... I don't care if you're an inmate or employee. We want to make sure that it's done right and properly.”
In late July, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against former Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason, as well as other former sheriff’s office and detention center staff, by Wright’s mother, who alleges her son’s death was caused by a violation of his Fourteenth Amendment rights.
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Wright’s death was the eighth of 11 deaths that occurred in the detention center in a three-year span under former medical provider TK Health. TK Health ended its 16 year contract with the detention center in June 2025 following failed health inspections and numerous deaths within the facility.
This story was edited by Reagan Rozzi.
