Holly Faye Whiteley Dies After Incarceration in Henderson County Jail
Thirty-six-year-old Holly Faye Whiteley went through intake at Henderson County Jail in Athens, Texas, on September 13, 2024. During the booking process, she advised the intake officer that she had no medical conditions. Ms. Whiteley was pronounced deceased on January 19, 2025, after going through nine days of testing at a local hospital. Her cause of death is unknown.
The custodial death report (CDR) about Ms. Whiteley due on February 19 was filed by the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department on March 3, 2025. Under medical cause of death, it indicates that on the day after Ms. Whiteley’s death, they were informed by the Health Department that she had tested positive for AIDS.
Henderson County Jail is at 206-A North in Athens, Texas 75751. The bed capacity of the Athens jail is 509.
Sepsis is Listed as the Medical Cause of Death of an Inmate at Henderson County Jail
After the death of a 79-year-old man who was incarcerated in Henderson County Jail, an autopsy was performed. The findings of the medical examiner listed on the CDR are extensive, but the medical cause of the in-custody death is shown as sepsis resulting from a reported history of an abscess on the arm.
Treatment with antibiotics is all it usually takes to prevent deaths caused by sepsis. Therefore, any death that occurs due to sepsis should raise a red flag. Particularly in custodial settings, preventable deaths demand accountability. Detainees in county and municipal jails do not lose their basic rights, such as medical care. Family members who suspect that medical neglect or some other type of jail negligence cost the life of a loved one should contact experienced legal counsel without delay.
Jail Inmates Die Due to Preventable Deaths
It is always tragic when preventable deaths occur during an individual’s incarceration, many times prior to their cases being resolved. The following information from news stories reveals the types of situations in which inmates needlessly die.
- In a Philadelphia jail, the death of a diabetic inmate has caused a family’s devastation. Fifty-year-old Louis Jung, Jr. died of ketoacidosis on November 6, 2023, in Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. The family asserts that if Mr. Jung had been provided with the insulin he needed, his death would have been prevented.
- An 18-year-old man died in Arizona’s Pima County Jail after taking his second dose of fentanyl in two days inside the facility. Jails can be held accountable for the failure to control inmate access to deadly drugs.
Seeking Justice for a Jail Death Caused by Preventable Suicide?
No one forfeits their fundamental rights simply because they are incarcerated. If you suspect that a loved one’s death in a city or county jail resulted from medical neglect, taking swift action is crucial. The Law Offices of Dean Malone is here to help. Our experienced legal team focuses on custodial death cases, including jail suicides, working to hold correctional facilities accountable and seeking justice for affected families.
Contact us by phone, text, or through our online form today. We are committed to asserting the rights of inmates and their families.
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