DeWitt County Jail Inmate Dies From Serious Illness – Texas Rangers Likely to Investigate

The DeWitt County Sheriff’s Department, in Cuero, Texas, filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas regarding the death of Christopher Lee Beck. Mr. Beck was only 42 years of age at the time of his death. We make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone related to Mr. Beck’s death, but we are instead simply providing some of the information contained in that report.

Our Texas civil rights law firm represents a number of people regarding deaths occurring in Texas jails, and we frequently review custodial death reports. The summary portion of the report regarding Mr. Beck’s death is perhaps the most detailed summary that our law firm has ever reviewed. The summary goes on for several pages, and we only provide here some basic information.

The summary regarding Mr. Beck’s death indicates that the author of the report was contacted by Chief Deputy John Garoni regarding Mr. Beck’s in-custody death. Mr. Beck was incarcerated at 208 East Liveoak Street in Cuero. The building houses the DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office and DeWitt County jail.

The summary provides summaries of statements from several inmates and jail staff. Generally, Mr. Beck was extremely ill. It appears that he was provided some medical care and some observation. It is difficult at best to tell from the report the extent of any medical care he was provided, or the extent to which jailers and/or medical personnel were aware of his illness resulting in death.

Regardless, the preliminary autopsy results indicate that Mr. Beck died as a result of sepsis, multiple organ damage, peritonitis from a perforated bowel from an old surgery site, and an internal infection. Sepsis is, generally, what will occur when an infection is left untreated and gets worse. All competent Texas hospitals have a sepsis protocol, recognizing the signs and symptoms of sepsis and the need to treat people immediately due to the risk of death.

Generally, and without regard to Mr. Beck’s situation, the United States Constitution guarantees the right of pre-trial prisoners in Texas jails to receive reasonable medical care. Jailers and medical personnel have obligations to act in an objectively reasonable manner and not be deliberately indifferent to prisoners’ medical needs. If a prisoner dies as a result of deliberate indifference and/or jailers and/or medical staff acting unreasonably, then certain surviving family members might have claims regarding such a death. These claims are usually filed in federal court.

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