In Kermit, Texas, on February 5, 2018, while in the custody of Winkler County Jail, 42-year-old Valorin Michele Rodriguez died. The report about her death that was prepared was brief and did not give any information indicating the cause of death. When she was found nonresponsive, she was in the process of serving a sentence lasting only 10 days.

As mentioned in the previous post, custodial death reports have changed in their formatting in that, in previous times, it was typical for the reports to be lengthy and heavily detailed with regard to events near the inmate’s death. The reports are now very brief and often offer no details relating to cause of death, as in the case mentioned above. The following provides details from a 2014 custodial death report, as an example of what could be expected in the past when these reports were prepared in Texas.

Cause of Death: Possible Withdrawal of Drugs

A female inmate had been housed temporarily in the medical tank, also known as the detox tank. On the morning of her death, a detention officer was radioed with the announcement that she had died. The response was rapid, and she was administered CPR and sternum rubs by a staff nurse until the Dallas Fire Department arrived. After being transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital, the inmate was pronounced dead. This was just 15 minutes after the initial radio call.

A fellow inmate was interviewed that same day, and she said that the deceased had been throwing up before breakfast time. The witness said that she thought the woman was probably detoxing. After breakfast, the deceased had requested to be switched to a bottom bunk, and permission was given. A short time later, the deceased was seen lying face-down close to the toilet, and one hand was draped over the toilet. It was at this point that the jail staff was summoned.

The doctor at the Medical Examiner’s Office said that there was no sign of blunt force trauma and the woman likely died as a result of the withdrawal of drugs. The ruling was pending toxicology results.

See Part 1 of this ongoing series.

With the aim of potentially assisting inmates currently or previously incarcerated in a county jail in the state of Texas, posts are added regularly on this website. There is no intention to suggest on this site that individuals or institutions have been involved in improprieties.

–Guest Contributor