Abbey Lynn Steele
Abbey Lynn Steele was a American Indian mother of two from the Rapid City area. Her sister Maria described her as a firecracker, loyal to the people she loved and quick with a joke, and said Abbey played flute and volleyball and spent her high school years in Sturgis. Abbey's heart stopped while she was held at the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City, and she was taken to a hospital, where she was kept on a ventilator until her family chose to end life support. The Pennington County Sheriff's Office said she presented with medical symptoms, and the state Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating what led to her death. Her family says she should be alive today.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed). The Pennington County Sheriff's Office said she showed medical symptoms, and the state Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating, while her family says she should be alive today.
Reported by: Pennington County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held her); state Division of Criminal Investigation (outside investigators); her family.