Courtney Berry
Courtney Berry was held at the Shelby County jail in Memphis, Tennessee, in early 2025, and died there on March 30, 2025. His widow, Erica Berry, said he trusted the jail's medical staff and jailers to care for him while he was held there. Deputies reportedly found him unresponsive in a shower and gave him Narcan several times. His family says he had a serious heart condition and was not a drug user, and they say the jail and its contracted medical provider failed to monitor his heart health. A lawsuit by the family states that an autopsy found no drugs in his system, while the sheriff's office declined to comment because of the pending lawsuit.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (neglect alleged). His family's lawsuit says he had a serious heart condition, that the jail and its contracted medical provider failed to monitor it, and that an autopsy found no drugs in his system.
Reported by: his family and attorney Murray Wells (lawsuit) (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Courtney Berry's family sued Shelby County and its contracted medical provider over his death in the Shelby County jail, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.