NASHVILLE – Death row inmate James Dellinger has passed away of apparent natural causes.  Dellinger, 71, was pronounced deceased at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution at 11:58 a.m. on Monday, January 16, 2023.  He was sentenced to death in 1996 for First Degree Murder in Blount County.  The exact cause of death is pending official determination by the medical examiner.