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Bowie County Jail Inmate Dejuan Fulcher Possibly Died of Sepsis

Front of Jail Cell

Dejuan Deandre Fulcher was booked into Bowie County Jail on April 30, 2024. He was pronounced deceased in the jail’s custody on December 18, 2024. The Bowie County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report (CDR) the next day. The CDR shows that he exhibited mental health problems during booking. He was also missing his lower right leg at the knee due to a previous medical issue.

Per the CDR, Mr. Fulcher was eventually placed in a single-occupancy cell because he displayed signs of mental illness such as soiling his bedding and clothing with bodily waste. On September 17, Mr. Fulcher underwent a mental evaluation to determine his competency to stand trial. He was waiting for placement in a mental facility for the remainder of his stay at the jail.

On December 18, Mr. Fulcher was discovered unresponsive in his cell, and he was still breathing. Medical personnel provided medical attention, and he was transported to Christus St. Michael Hospital for further treatment. The hospital staff was treating him for sepsis and septic shock, and his condition rapidly declined. He was pronounced deceased at 11:48 PM the same day. His cause of death is listed as unknown and awaiting autopsy results.

Bowie County Jail is also known as Bowie County Correctional Center. The jail’s address is 105 West Front Street, Texarkana, Texas 75501. The bed capacity of the Bowie County Correctional Center is 921.

A Study Shows that Inmates with Sepsis Have a Higher Risk of Death

The Journal of Correctional Health conducted a study of 8,568 cases of sepsis. All but 120 were non-inmates. The mortality rate for non-inmates was 15.3%, and for inmates, it was 42.5%. The risk of death among inmates with sepsis was 2.8 times higher than the others. The article suggests several measures jails should take to protect inmates from adverse health outcomes, including the following:

  • Before being admitted into a jail, inmates should have a health screening.
  • Jail staff should go through training to recognize if inmates exhibit signs of medical distress.
  • Jails should stay well-stocked with Narcan so that overdose deaths can be prevented.

Oftentimes, deaths from sepsis are highly preventable. If inmates do not receive medical care for a serious health condition, it can be considered a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Jails have a duty to provide detainees with the medical care they need. If they show indifference toward an inmate in serious need of medical attention and the inmate dies or suffers life-altering results, they can be held accountable. It’s such a tragedy that inmates too often die from sepsis, considering that in most cases, simply receiving antibiotics in a timely manner would have saved their lives.

Have You Experienced Jail Neglect?

Jail staff are responsible for the care and safety of everyone in their custody. If you were detained in a Texas jail and endured severe, life-altering injuries due to neglect, such as a denial of medical care, the Law Offices of Dean Malone may be able to help. We have extensive experience asserting the rights of inmates and their families.

If you lost a loved one while they were incarcerated in a Texas jail and believe neglect, including medical neglect, contributed to their passing, we’re here to assist. Our dedicated team focuses on custodial death cases.

We are available 24/7. Contact us anytime by phone, text, or through our online form for a free consultation.

Written By: author avatar smchugh
author avatar smchugh