The Randall County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report (CDR) about 51-year-old Michele Allen on September 14, 2023. Her middle name is shown as Jo. When she entered the Amarillo, Texas, jail, according to the CDR, she did not appear to be intoxicated nor did she make suicidal statements or exhibit mental health or medical problems. Yet, she only lived another 68 hours, not 32 hours as incorrectly stated before. It is indicated also that she died on August 11, 2023, of a condition that developed after admission. Her cause of death is pending autopsy results.

An Inmate Dies of Suicide in Randall County Jail on August 14, 2023, Continued

Clayton Shennum is the name of the Randall County detainee who died on August 14, 2023, just three days after detainee Michele Allen died in the custody of Randall County Jail. The summary of how Mr. Shennum’s death occurred includes the following information:

• Detainee Clayton Lamar Shennum was found unresponsive in the cell CA-112 shower at 4:50 a.m. A mattress cover was tied around his neck. The officer working the housing area waited for backup and when it arrived, detainee Shennum was removed from the shower and lifesaving measures were administered. Ambulance personnel arrived and gave assistance in providing lifesaving measures. An EKG strip was run that showed no activity in the heart. The time on the EKG strip showed 5:19 a.m., which was listed as the time of death of Mr. Shennum on August 14, 2023.

Providing help for prisoners in Texas municipal and county jails in the way of pertinent resources is one of the purposes of this website. Intimating that any institution or individual has been involved in misdeeds is never an intention.

–Guest Contributor