Federal Inmate Dies at FCI Beaumont Low; FBI Investigation Underway

Desteryn Arnold, 36. Arnold was found unresponsive Monday at FCI Beaumont Low and later pronounced deceased at a local hospital. The incident remains under investigation. Photo courtesy: Knoxville Police Department

BEAUMONT, TX — A federal inmate died Monday at the Federal Correctional Institution Beaumont (Low), according to federal authorities.

Desteryn Arnold, 36, was found unresponsive at approximately 11:20 a.m. inside the facility. Prison employees immediately initiated life-saving measures and requested emergency medical services. Arnold was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased by hospital personnel.

Arnold was serving a 190-month federal sentence stemming from a case in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Court records show he was convicted of Hobbs Act robbery and for using, carrying, and brandishing a short-barreled rifle during and in relation to a crime of violence. He had been housed at FCI Beaumont Low since July 24, 2025.

Arnold was originally arrested in August 2020 by the Knoxville Police Department following a robbery at a Family Dollar store in Knoxville, Tennessee. According to law enforcement records, the arrest followed a vehicle pursuit that ended in the Knoxville area near Beaver Creek Drive. The booking photograph released in connection with his death originated from that arrest.

Federal court records further indicate that Arnold’s defense raised mental health concerns during his prosecution. Filings from 2021 show the court ordered competency evaluations after his attorneys reported he had been placed on suicide watch multiple times while in custody and questioned his ability to understand the proceedings and assist in his defense. Arnold pursued an insanity defense prior to his conviction.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been notified of Arnold’s death. Authorities confirmed that no employees or other incarcerated individuals were injured and that there was no danger to the public at any time.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation. No cause of death has been released.

This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.