Female jail inmate accused of hiding drugs in body cavity

Bartholomew County deputies are seeking additional charges against a jail inmate after discovering she had drugs in a body cavity.

Stephanie G. Cecil, 29, of 1507 Lafayette St., was being held in the Bartholomew County Jail in lieu of $60,000 bond, deputies said.

During a search on Monday, it was determined Cecil had a bag hidden in a body cavity, deputies said. Cecil refused to cooperate with jail staff and denied having the contraband, jail officials said.

The sheriff department’s Investigation’s Division assisting the jail staff in obtaining a search warrant and Cecil was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital where she agreed to cooperate and retrieve the bag, deputies said.

The bag contained narcotics, a syringe and a lighter, deputies said.

Narcotics, a syringe and a lighter were found after jail staff accused inamate Stephanie G. Cecil of concealing them in a body cavity. Photo provided
Narcotics, a syringe and a lighter were found after jail staff accused Bartholomew County Jail inmate Stephanie G. Cecil of concealing them in a body cavity.
Photo provided

In addition to the Bartholomew County warrant that Cecil was being held at the jail for, additional preliminary charges of felony possession of methamphetamine and felony possession of a syringe were added, deputies said.

“It is critical to keep drugs and drug-related items out of our jail,” said Sheriff Matt Myers. “Had staff not developed information about the hidden drugs, they (the drugs) would have possibly been shared with other inmates,” he said.

For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.