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The death of an inmate inside the Charleston County jail Wednesday has been ruled a suicide, authorities said today.

Charlie Mercer, 60, was found hanging in his jail cell about 5:30 a.m., Charleston County Deputy Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal said. Mercer's death has been ruled a suicide, she said.

Mercer had been in the Detention Center nearly a year on family court charges and was scheduled to be released next week, Charleston County sheriff's Maj. John Clark said.

Clark said Mercer recently requested a secure one-man cell in the jail's oldest section to be separated from the younger population.

Corrections officers found him while making the morning checks, he said.

State Law Enforcement Division agents have been called in to investigate.

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