An investigation has been launched into the death of Glenn Foster Jr., a former defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, who died after he was taken into custody in Alabama.
Foster, 31, died Monday, the Pickens County coroner confirmed Tuesday. A cause of death has not been determined.
Law enforcement officials in Alabama reported that Gleenn Foster did die on Dec. 6 while in custody. They added an investigation is underway and “nothing further is available” at this time.
A Pickens County Medical Examiner official confirmed the Dec. 6 death, according to NOLA.com, though the spokesperson would not reveal the circumstances surrounding the passing, saying an investigation is currently underway.
Inmate records show that Foster was initially taken into custody in the Pickens County Jail on Saturday in connection with three counts of reckless endangerment and a count each of attempting to elude police and resisting arrest.
Inmate records show he was released in that case at 3:14 p.m. Sunday, only to be rebooked at 3:16 p.m. on charges of simple assault and third-degree robbery.
It’s unclear from the records why Foster was released and rebooked within two minutes. No records indicate that he was released after he was rebooked.
Pickens County Sheriff Todd Hall referred questions to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, which he said is handling the case.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, home to the bureau of investigation, confirmed that Foster was in custody when he died. It said Foster’s body had been moved to the state’s forensic department as part of the inquiry.
“Nothing further is available as the investigation is ongoing,” the agency said. “Once complete, the findings will be turned over to the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office.”
Foster was a Chicago native who joined the University of Illinois football team in 2008. He joined the New Orleans Saints as an unsigned free agent in 2013, playing with them until 2014.
He and his wife, Pamela, started Southern Louisiana Granite after he left the NFL. He recently spoke to inRegister, a lifestyle magazine in Baton Rouge, about how they expanded past granite countertop installation to more extensive remodelling options.
“I’m a doer — I get things done,” Foster told the magazine in October. “I have a mindset where I could be anything I want to be in the world, and if my heart and mind are invested in it, I’ll be the best at whatever that is.”
Glenn Foster who starred for the University of Illinois signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and played two seasons for the team, recording 8 tackles in 17 games.
He retired from the league in 2016.