Former Pastor Byron Jamal Dies in Custody Following Arrest on Child Assault Charges

Union County, NC — Byron Jamal, a former pastor turned relationship coach and motivational speaker, died early Thursday morning following an apparent suicide attempt inside the Union County Detention Center. He was 41.

According to a statement from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, detention officers discovered Jamal — legal name Byron J. Leach — unresponsive in his cell shortly after midnight during a routine check. Medical staff and EMS responders were able to temporarily revive him, but he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Jamal had been taken into custody the day prior by a U.S. Marshals Task Force executing warrants stemming from a child sexual assault investigation led by Marshville Police. Authorities say Jamal injured himself attempting to flee arrest, leaping from a balcony. After receiving treatment for a broken arm, he was booked into custody that evening.

Due to his medical condition, officials report he was placed in a solo cell — a fact that raises new questions about the facility’s suicide prevention measures and oversight.

While law enforcement agencies continue their in-custody death investigation — now under the jurisdiction of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) — the case has sent shockwaves across digital spaces where Jamal built a brand as a “Love & Success Coach.” His platforms, including the personal development brand Mogul in the Making, centered messages of healing, purpose, and self-love — particularly for Black men navigating trauma.

His personal website, ByronJamal.com, describes his mission as helping “ordinary people find extraordinary love by falling in love with their everyday lives.” He also touted titles as a best-selling author and speaker, often merging faith-based language with wellness strategies.

That same bio, once inspirational, now stands in stark tension with the nature of the charges and the circumstances of his death — forcing followers, critics, and community members to reckon with the contradictions that high-profile figures often embody.

No further details regarding the criminal investigation have been released. A spokesperson for the Union County Sheriff’s Office stated that additional information may become available as the NCSBI inquiry unfolds.

Icon City News will continue tracking developments in this story, particularly as they relate to the treatment of system-impacted individuals, the overlap of mental health and criminalization, and accountability in the carceral system.