Jose Molina Dies After Being in Fannin County, Texas Jail

The Fannin County Sheriff’s Office, in Bonham, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Jose Molina. Mr. Molina was only 32 years old at the time of his death. We provide in this post information obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing regarding Mr. Molina’s death.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On 07-05-2021 Sheriff Johnson was notified that a Federal inmate had passed away at the hospital for unknown reasons. Sheriff immediately called the Texas Ranger for our area and him start an investigation into the death. The narrative from the Texas Rangers is below. 1.1 On 07-05-2021 at approximately 3:39 AM, I, Texas Ranger Ken Shields was contacted telephonically by Fannin County Sheriff Mark Johnson. Sheriff Johnson advised a federal inmate from the LaSalle Corrections Jail located in Fannin County had died at the Texoma Medical Center Hospital in Denison, Texas. Sheriff Johnson requested I respond to Texoma Medical Center and conduct the Custodial Death Investigation. Sheriff Johnson requested me to contact LaSalle Corrections Warden Stacy King for details of the federal inmate. At approximately 3:45 AM, I contacted Warden King telephonically. Warden King stated that on 07-04-2021, US Marshall federal inmate Jose Molina had been discovered unresponsive in his isolation medical unit cell and was transported by an ambulance to Texoma Medical Center where later (on 07-05-2021) he was pronounced dead. Warden King stated that Molina was in Texoma Medical Center Intensive Care Unit room number 207. 1.2 I arrived at Texoma Medical Center at approximately 4:40 AM where I met with Grayson County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Rita Noel. I was informed that Jose Molina (H/M xx/xx/xxxx) LaSalle Corrections inmate number 29300078, had been pronounced deceased at 3:09 AM by attending physician Javaid Ehson. At approximately 4:50 AM, I entered room 207, LaSalle Corrections Officers Kenneth Abbott and Dustin Watson were inside the room with Molina. I observed that the corrections officers had been keeping an entry log of activity starting at approximately 10:30 PM (on 07-04-2021). I made an initial observation of Molina and did not observe any markings on his body except those that appeared to me to be from medical intervention. CDR Reports :: Page 3 of 3 1.3 I contacted Warden King telephonically at approximately 5:26 AM, Warden King stated that she had notified the United States Marshall Eastern District James Nicholas in regards of Molina’s custodial death. 1.4 I contacted LaSalle Corrections Lieutenant Terry Wright telephonically at approximately, 5:29 AM, Lieutenant Wright informed me that Molina was booked into the LaSalle Corrections Facility in Fannin County on 03-04-2020. Molina had been transferred to the medical unit and had been housed in an isolation medical cell since 06-27-2021. Molina had been receiving medical treatment for migraines. On 07-04-2021 at approximately 5:42 PM, a Bonham Fire and EMS ambulance had been dispatched for Molina. Molina had been discovered by LaSalle Corrections Officer Samantha Asbill in his cell unresponsive leaning over the sink and that Molina had defecated himself. Corrections Officer Asbill and LaSalle Corrections Registered Nurse Alisa Melton attempted medical treatment until the ambulance arrived at 5:45 PM. The ambulance left from LaSalle Corrections Facility at approximately 6:07 PM and transported Molina to the Texoma Medical Center in Denison. 1.5 On 07-05-2021 at approximately 4:56 AM, Judge Noel ordered an autopsy to be conducted on Molina by the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science (SWIFS) located in Dallas County. Molina was released from Texoma Medical Center to Hunter Stiles of Fisher Funeral Home for transport to SWIFS. Fisher Funeral Home departed from Texoma Medical Center at approximately 6:25 AM. 1.6 At approximately 8:20 AM, I traveled to the LaSalle Corrections Facility and met with Warden King. I requested the following items to be prepared for me to receive at a later date: A. A copy of video surveillance of Molina’s cell from 06-27-2021 to 07-04-2021 B. A copy of recording of any incoming or outgoing jail phone calls C. A copy of Molina’s medical records D. A copy of logs of status round checks conducted by LaSalle Correction Officers 1.7 At approximately 8:28 AM, I photographed the exterior and interior of Molina’s cell, located in the medical unit marked “M2” and “227”. All photographs were stored on an external hard drive S1.P1.”

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of pre-trial detainees, held in Texas county jails by county officials, and/or independent contractors, to receive reasonable medical care. If a person does not receive reasonable medical care and passes away as a result, then certain surviving family members may have a claim to be asserted in a lawsuit. Once again, however, we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone related to Mr. Molina’s death. We are simply providing information we obtained from the custodial death report, and in additional basic legal information regarding custodial death claims.

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