Abby Lee Rudolph
Abby Rudolph, 19, of Fargo, died on November 3, 2016, while held at the Clay County Jail in Moorhead, Minnesota. In 2016 the sheriff, Bill Bergquist, said she had a medical emergency on the afternoon of that Thursday, that jail staff called an ambulance, and that she was still alive when she left the jail. A wrongful death lawsuit alleges she was denied adequate medical care while ill and vomiting and did not see a doctor during her roughly four days in the facility. The county disputes that account, saying staff monitored her and responded when she became unwell, and a death certificate lists the cause as acute bronchopneumonia and the manner as natural.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The death certificate lists acute bronchopneumonia as natural, while Abby's wrongful death lawsuit alleges she was denied medical care while ill and vomiting and never saw a doctor, and the county disputes that account, saying staff monitored her.
Reported by: Minnesota Department of Health death certificate (medical examiner or coroner); wrongful death lawsuit; Clay County (the agency that held her).
Lawsuit: A wrongful death lawsuit was filed over Abby Rudolph's death at the Clay County Jail, alleging inadequate medical care, and no settlement or award amount is reported.
Sources (6)
- News report
- Officials investigating Clay County jail inmate’s death
- Officials investigating death of 19-year-old Clay County inmate
- Officials investigate 19-year-old Clay County jail inmate’s death
- Clay County inmate, 19, died from care so inadequate it shocks 'the conscience,' lawsuit alleges
- Minnesota inmate, 19, died from care so inadequate it shocks the conscience, lawsuit alleges