The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department, in El Paso, Texas, filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas regarding the death of Crystal Seymour. Ms. Seymour was only 38 years old at the time of her death. Unfortunately, the report details yet another Texas jail suicide. We make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone related to Ms. Seymour’s death but are simply providing information included in the report.
Ms. Seymour was originally incarcerated in the El Paso County jail on October 29, 2020 at 4:29 p.m. She passed away at 10:20 a.m. on November 4, 2020.
The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:
“On 11/01/2020 at approximately 2000 hrs. Detention Officers Gloria Gallardo and Ydali Hernandez were conducting physical checks of the 11th floor. Officer Gallardo observed inmate SEYMOUR hanging from the handicap bar on the wall by her facility issue uniform. Both Officers untied the knots from the bar and the neck of the inmate Seymour. Jail medical staff arrived and C.P.R. was started, an A.E.D. was deployed and administered. The Officers noticed cuts on the inmate’s right wrist while lifesaving procedures were being attempted. Sergeants Perez and Quinn observed cuts to the inmates left neck as she was being removed from the cell. Emergency medical Services arrived 2022 hrs. and took over treatment of the inmate and transported her to a local area. Seymour was placed on life support and admitted to the I.C.U. 11/04/2020 0630hrs. Seymour was taken off life support and transferred to regular treatment room. At 1020hrs. I was advised that Seymour had passed away. I contacted T.C.J.S. and the D.A.s Office. I made contact with Texas Ranger G. Sanchez who will conducting a shadow investigation.”
The summary portion of the report provides no information regarding whether El Paso County jailers had been conducting periodic cell checks as required by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. The summary portion of the report also provides no information regarding Ms. Seymour’s mental health status.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department failed to provide any information in the report for the following fields: Death Code; Manner of Death Description; Custody Code; Code of Charges; Intoxicated; and Medical Treatment Description. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department did indicate that Ms. Seymour did not make suicidal statements, did not exhibit any medical problems, and did not exhibit any mental health problems. The report does not provide any information regarding what was included in the intake form for Ms. Seymour, such form being required by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
Our Texas law firm unfortunately becomes aware of far too many suicides in Texas jails. There needs to be a concerted effort to address the continued mental health issues suffered by many arrestees. While our firm frequently litigates cases against cities and counties as a result of what we contend are wrongful deaths, usually on behalf of certain surviving family members, it seems that litigation alone is not incentivizing Texas counties and cities to better care for inmates.
