Brittany Rae Berry
Brittany Rae Berry, 35, was a mother of three who had previously lived in Hartville. She died in June 2018 at the Summit County Jail in Ohio, where the county medical examiner, Dr. Lisa Kohler, listed dehydration complications while detoxifying as the cause of death. Her mother, Deborah Schlarb, became administrator of her estate, which later reached a settlement of up to $125,000 with the county. Her attorneys had planned to sue the county and the jail's medical contractor, and the sheriff's office said no separate outside investigation was conducted.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). The medical examiner, Dr. Lisa Kohler, attributed her death to dehydration complications while detoxifying, and her estate's lawyers say the jail and its medical contractor failed to treat her withdrawal, reaching a settlement of up to $125,000 with the county.
Reported by: Summit County Medical Examiner Dr. Lisa Kohler (medical examiner or coroner); Brittany Berry's estate and attorneys (family or their lawyers); Summit County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held her).
Lawsuit: Her estate reached a settlement with Summit County reported as up to $125,000, and her attorneys planned to sue the county and the jail's medical contractor.