7 Former Jailers and Nurses Charged in Elderly Man's Confinement Death

Lawyers argue pre-trial publicity could impact jury selection in high-profile case.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Seven former jailers and contract nursing employees have been charged in connection with the alleged abuse and death of an elderly Tellico Plains man, Lester Isbill, who died after being restrained for over 9 hours in a jail cell. Lawyers for some of the defendants are arguing that there has been so much publicity around the case that the jury should be picked from outside the county.

Why it matters

This case has raised concerns about the treatment of inmates in the Monroe County jail and the accountability of jailers and medical staff. The high-profile nature of the case and the potential for pre-trial publicity to impact jury selection could have broader implications for how similar cases are handled in the future.

The details

The seven defendants, which include five former jail deputies and two former contract nurses, were working at the Monroe County Justice Center on February 6, 2025 when 74-year-old Lester Isbill was brought in on a disorderly conduct warrant. Isbill was held strapped in a restraint chair for over 9 hours without food, water or bathroom breaks, and with a spit hood covering his head. After deputies realized he had stopped breathing, they removed him from the chair and called an ambulance, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital the next morning. The medical examiner later amended the cause of death to homicide, citing dehydration and constant restraint as contributing factors.

  • Around lunchtime on February 6, 2025, Lester Isbill was brought into the Monroe County Justice Center.
  • Starting around 2 PM on February 6, 2025 and continuing until around 11:10 PM, jailers held Isbill strapped in a restraint chair.
  • Isbill was pronounced dead at the hospital early the next morning on February 7, 2025.

The players

Joshua R. Duncan

One of the five former jail deputies indicted, primarily on counts of official misconduct.

Tyler Finger

One of the five former jail deputies indicted, primarily on counts of official misconduct.

Courtney Woods

One of the two former contract nurses indicted, charged with criminally negligent homicide.

Greg Mills

One of the two former contract nurses indicted, charged with making a false report.

Lester Isbill

The 74-year-old Tellico Plains man who died after being restrained for over 9 hours in the Monroe County jail.

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What they’re saying

“As a contract employee of Monroe County, Mr. Mills was expected to cooperate with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's investigation and faced the predicament of whether to risk his employment with silence or risk his freedom with cooperation.”

— Stephen Ross Johnson, Attorney representing Greg Mills

What’s next

The judge will hear multiple requests from defense attorneys, including a motion to change the venue of the trial due to pre-trial publicity, at a hearing scheduled for September 25.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for greater accountability and oversight in county jails, as well as the challenges of ensuring a fair trial when a case has received extensive media coverage. The outcome could set an important precedent for how similar cases of alleged inmate abuse and neglect are handled in the future.