NATCHEZ — Three men — including a former jailer — are set to go to trial in March for reportedly assaulting an Adams County Jail inmate the same day in March 2016 the inmate reportedly committed suicide inside his jail cell.

Victor Lee Smith, Jerome Harris and Kelcey Watson were indicted in November 2016 on charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit a crime for reportedly assaulting Joseph Laverne Sturdivant, 32, on March 17, 2016.

Smith worked as an Adams County jailer and was terminated prior to an Federal Bureau of Investigation into the incident.

Sturdivant was jailed after being charged in February 2016 with burglary of an inhabited dwelling.

The indictment states that the men worked together to unlock the doors to a cell block and Sturdivant’s individual cell before entering the cell and choking Sturdivant.

“(Smith, Lee and Watson) did, while acting in concert one with the other, purposely, knowingly and feloniously cause serious bodily injury to Joey Sturdivant, by purposefully, knowingly or recklessly, manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life by choking Joey Sturdivant,” the indictment states. “(Smith, Lee and Watson) did … conspire to commit the crime of aggravated assault, in that they, did communicate and work together by contemporaneously unlocking a cell block, an individual cell and assaulted Joey Sturdivant.”

Sturdivant was reportedly found dead later that same day hanging by the neck from a handmade rope.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said at the time the rope appeared to have been made using a bed sheet.

A preliminary autopsy ruled Sturdivant’s death a suicide, Sheriff Travis Patten said.

Patten declined to discuss any further details of the case since it is currently before the court.

District Attorney Ronnie Harper said he could not comment on the case, other than to say the three men are scheduled to appear in court for a trial on March 14.