Amanda Jackson
Amanda Jackson, 31, had struggled with opioid addiction for several years, and her family hopes to start a foundation in her name to benefit people in recovery. She was held at the Putnam County Jail in Tennessee from September 21, 2023, and was placed in medical observation. A federal lawsuit brought by her mother, Michelle O'Rourke, alleges that jail staff and the healthcare contractor QCHC ignored her deteriorating condition and delayed emergency care until she was found nearly unresponsive on September 25, 2023, and that she was pronounced dead at a hospital. The family's account identifies diabetic ketoacidosis as the cause of death. According to her sister, Justine Jacobs, the lawsuit was resolved through mediation, the county admitted no wrongdoing, and the medical contractors agreed to a settlement.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). Her mother's federal lawsuit says jail staff and the healthcare contractor QCHC ignored her deteriorating diabetic condition and delayed emergency care until she was found nearly unresponsive; her sister says the case settled through mediation with the county admitting no wrongdoing.
Reported by: Michelle O'Rourke (mother, federal lawsuit) (family or their lawyers); Justine Jacobs (sister) (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her mother sued in federal court over her death, and the case was resolved through mediation, with the medical contractors agreeing to a settlement of undisclosed amount while the county admitted no wrongdoing, according to her sister.