Michael Jones, 55, has been charged with murder after allegedly smuggling methadone-laced underpants into jail and handing them to a cellmate, who police say overdosed

An inmate at a jail in Kentucky has died after eating methadone-soaked underwear that was smuggled into prison by a cellmate.

Michael Jones, 55, was let out on day release from Jessamine County Detention Center, Nicholasville, and allegedly brought back the drug-laced underpants, which went undetected by prison guards.

Police believer Jones cut up the briefs and shared them with his cellmates, including Corey McQueary, 33, who was found unresponsive on Thursday morning.

McQueary was pronounced dead later that day.

The results of his autopsy are yet to be released but police suspect he died of a drug overdose.

Jailer Jon Sallee told CNN: 'When somebody comes in the facility either from a furlough or any other occurrence, they're searched, their clothing's searched, strip searched, any other type of search that we feel is necessary.

'If something is in their garment and it's colorless, odorless, it would be very difficult, almost impossible, to detect from the naked eye.'

Jones, who was on a furlough to attend a funeral, was arrested and charged with murder after the incident.

It is believed that McQueary was in the Kentucky detention center awaiting trial for manufacturing methamphetamine.

Methadone is an opiate drug which is used both as a painkiller and as a heroin replacement for users trying to wean themselves off the substance.

It slows down body function and reduces physical and psychological pain.

When taken properly by heroin addicts, the dosage of methadone is slowly decreased over time so the user avoids withdrawal symptoms.

Overdosing on methadone can cause users to fall into a coma, suffer respiratory failure and die.

It is believed that Corey McQueary was in the Kentucky jail awaiting trial for manufacturing methamphetamine