On July 24, 2019, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, which is located in Conroe, Texas, filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas. The report was regarding the death of Robert Paul Cantrell. Mr. Cantrell was only 49 years of age at the time of his death. We do not make any allegations of any wrongdoing against anyone as it relates to Mr. Cantrell’s death, but we are instead simply providing information in this post which we have obtained from that report.
Mr. Cantrell was originally incarcerated in the Montgomery County, Texas jail, in Conroe, on December 30, 2018. The report provides very little information regarding the events leading to Mr. Cantrell’s death. The summary provides that Mr. Cantrell was in custody, pending a trial. Thus, Mr. Cantrell had not been convicted of any crime at the time of his death related to his incarceration. During security rounds, one or more jailers found Mr. Cantrell hanging in his cell. Mr. Cantrell has apparently used a bed cover and attached it to a shower head. Medical staff were summoned, but they were unable to resuscitate Mr. Cantrell. Mr. Cantrell was pronounced deceased by EMS personnel.
The report does not indicate specific comments Mr. Cantrell made to anyone prior to committing suicide. However, the report indicates that Mr. Cantrell exhibited mental health problems and had made suicidal statements.
Texas jail inmates have the right to receive reasonable mental health care and medical care. These rights are guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Jailers cannot be deliberately indifferent to known suicidal tendencies, and they must protect pre-trial prisoners from themselves and others. If jailers fail to do so in a situation in which someone commits suicide, then the jailers can be liable to certain surviving family members. Further, a city or county employing such jailer can be liable if a policy, practice, and/or custom was a moving force behind the death. Such cases are usually filed in federal court by Texas civil rights attorneys.
