DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) – A teenage girl charged with murder in connection with a fatal drive-by shooting in July 2016 was found dead in her cell at the Durham County Detention Facility Thursday morning, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office announced.RELATED: Teen girl and man arrested in Durham drive-by murder; 3rd suspect still sought

Uniece Fennell, 17, was found unresponsive in her cell at approximately 3:30 a.m., the sheriff’s office said. Paramedics responded to her cell and pronounced her dead at the scene.

According to the sheriff’s office, her cause of death was suicide.

Fennell, who was 16 years old at the time, was arrested on July 26, 2016 in connection with the murder of 19-year-old Andre Bond on July 10. Bond was shot in the 2000 block of Woodview Drive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Joseph Kendell Jr., 21, was also arrested with Fennell and charged with murder.

Investigators also charged Demonte Christopher, 18, with murder.

Investigators said the victim and suspects knew each other.

In addition to the murder charge, Fennell was indicted for discharging a weapon into an occupied residence and discharging a firearm with a pattern of street gang activity, according to the sheriff’s office. Those indictments were filed on Aug. 4, 2016.

The Durham County Sheriff’s Office will notify the State Bureau of Investigation of Fennell’s death, as well as the State Medical Examiner. These actions are standard protocol, the sheriff’s office said.

Once the investigation and autopsy is complete, the information will be sent to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Alex Charns, attorney for the family of Uniece Fennell, released a statement to CBS North Carolina:

The family of Uniece Fennell is heartbroken today. Her family knew she was innocent of the charges against her. They knew that she should not be in jail. She loved her family, and they loved her. She had an amazing smile.

They believed that she and they had been threatened with murder by her co-defendant who is still on the run. The prosecutor referred to him as “Monster”.

Niecey’s twin brother, Demoraea Fennell, was shot to death while Niecey was in custody. She couldn’t attend his memorial services.

Niecey’s family, in their grief, want to know why the jail did not help and protect Niecey. What role did jail conditions and the conduct by detention officer(s) play in her death?

They want to know what role the assistant district attorney on her case played in keeping her bond so high.

My heart and prayers are with my client, and her family.”

Charns has also requested an investigation of the detention center’s staff and their treatment of the teen.