The following are more details about John David Snell in the custodial death report (CDR) prepared by the Garza County Sheriff’s Office in Post, Texas. It continues with details that occurred on June 24, 2023. At about 9 p.m., after Sergeant Perez reviewed the camera in cell 188, Sgt. Perez told Captain Copeland that Mr. Snell had passed out and hit his head on the wall in the cell at 2:40 p.m. Sgt. Perez stated that the detainee called on the emergency intercom and stated he needed medicine for a headache at about 3:14 p.m.

Next, on Sunday, June 25, 2023, the neurologist at Covenant Hospital stated that he did not think Mr. Snell was going to recover from his injury and he stated that his brain had swelled for too long before the surgery. At approximately 2:30 p.m., the Borden County Judge signed an order to release custody for Mr. Snell so his family could take over the direction of his care. On July 12, 2023, the Medical Examiner’s Office in Lubbock, Texas, informed Garza County that Mr. Snell had passed away at 3:09 that day.

In other posts in this series, Juan Raul Garcia, Jr. was the detainee who died in the custody of the Garza County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Garcia died on February 9, 2018.

Garcia County Jail is Found Noncompliant

On September 27, 2022, a notice of non-compliance was sent to Garza County Jail regarding a jail inspection report that was issued on September 26, 2022. Garza County Jail was found non-compliant with three minimum jail standards.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this continuing series.

One purpose of this website is to provide helpful resources for detainees in Texas county and city jails. There is never an intention on this site of suggesting that any person or entity has been involved in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor