Brett J.J. Bruns
Brett J.J. Bruns, 19, was a music lover who often played the guitar, planned to become a mechanic, and was remembered by his family as talented, smart and full of potential. He was committed to the care of the Oregon Youth Authority and lived at a residential boys program in Eugene run by Looking Glass Community Services, a contractor paid by the state agency. A lawsuit says staff put him on suicide watch after he tied his shoelaces into a noose but did not take the shoelaces away, and that he was allowed to leave the unlocked facility the next morning. His body was found hanging from a tree in Armitage Park in December 2019, and the Oregon Youth Authority lists the death as suicide. Looking Glass disputes the claims about his departure and staffing, and the family's $2.5 million settlement requires the facility to change its policies for at-risk youth.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (neglect alleged). The Oregon Youth Authority says he died by self-harm, and his family's lawsuit says Looking Glass staff put him on observation after he tied shoelaces into a noose but did not remove them and let him leave the facility the next morning, while Looking Glass disputes the claims about his departure and staffing.
Reported by: Oregon Youth Authority (the agency that held him); his family's lawsuit and attorney (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued and settled for $2.5 million with Looking Glass Community Services, a contractor for the Oregon Youth Authority, which agreed to change its policies for at-risk youth.