Hale County Jail Reports the Death of 66-Year-Old Timothy Taylor

Sixty-six-year-old Timothy Donald Taylor was arrested on a drug/alcohol offense and booked into Hale County Jail at 12:10 PM on April 6, 2025. The booking officer indicated that he appeared intoxicated and exhibited mental and medical health problems. Although supervision is the best deterrent for suicide, Mr. Taylor was placed in a single cell. Tragically, he was pronounced deceased 18 hours after his arrival at the Plainview, Texas jail.

Hale County Jail filed a custodial death report (CDR) about Mr. Taylor under the directorship of Sheriff David Cochran on April 10, 2025. In the CDR, Mr. Taylor’s cause of death on April 7, 2025, doesn’t include the usual indication that it is unknown but, rather, that it is pending autopsy results.

The summary of how the death of Mr. Taylor occurred is a mere seven words long. It simply says, “Subject was found unconscious during cell check.” There is only one clue in the CDR that may indicate what happened. In answer to the question of whether the cause of death was a result of a pre-existing medical condition or a condition that developed after admission, the report says the following:

Not applicable as the cause of death was accidental injury, intoxication, suicide, or homicide.

Regardless, we do not know the cause of Mr. Taylor’s death. Hale County Jail is located at 1900 S Columbia in Plainview, Texas, 79072. It has 190 beds.

Has a Pattern of Inmate Suicides Emerged in Hale County Jail?

It appears that the four most recent deaths on file that preceded the recent loss of Timothy Donald Taylor in Hale County Jail occurred in 1997, 1998, 2005, and 2021. Tragically, all four were suicides. A few details follow about two of the inmate suicides :

A 25-year-old was found hanging in his single cell on June 22, 2021, which was his 74th day in Hale County Jail.
A male inmate was booked into Hale County Jail at 8:35 PM on July 30, 2005. At 3:25 AM on July 31, 2005, the 42-year-old inmate was found hanging by his neck from his t-shirt, which he used as a ligature. He was pronounced deceased at 3:30 AM, having been an inmate there for only about 7 hours.

There are indicators of Hale County Jail’s potential neglect of suicide prevention measures. The Plainview jail failed an inspection in January 2021, and two of the rules the jail staff failed to comply with are under the mental disabilities/suicide prevention plan. Jason Jouett, TCJS Inspector, left the following notes on the jail inspection report about Hale County Jail’s non-compliance:

During the previous nine months, jail staff have been notifying the magistrate of inmates with possible mental health indicators on a weekly basis. Notifications to the magistrate were as late as 4 to 5 days after booking. Jail Standards refers to CCP 16.22, which requires the magistrate to be notified no later than 12 hours after receiving credible information that the inmate has a mental illness.
Jail staff failed to complete the screening form for suicide and medical/mental/developmental impairments in its entirety on multiple inmates. Technical assistance was provided for this issue during the last annual inspection.

Concerned About Jail Neglect or Mistreatment?

If you’ve lost someone and believe their death may have resulted from inadequate medical care or neglect in jail, the Law Offices of Dean Malone is ready to provide support and may be able to help. Individuals held before trial have a legal right to protection and medical attention. When jail staff fail to perform these duties, the county may be held legally responsible.

Reach out to us via phone, text, or our online contact form.

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