Courtney Tinker
Courtney Tinker, 40, died on March 29, 2024, at the Jefferson County Jail in Colorado. Her mother, Denise Tinker, is the estate's representative in a wrongful death lawsuit, which says Tinker had long feared dying alone in her cell. The sheriff's office said a deputy found her unresponsive after she did not come out for breakfast, and the coroner's autopsy classified the death as natural, citing heart and lung disease and lupus. The family's attorney disputes that cause and alleges that jail staff, a contracted health provider and an emergency room ignored her worsening symptoms over several days. The district attorney found no criminal wrongdoing, and the defendants have not responded to requests for comment.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The autopsy by Dr. Dawn B. Holmes ruled the death natural, citing heart and lung disease, lupus, alcoholism and COVID-19, but the family's attorney disputes that cause and alleges medical neglect in a wrongful death lawsuit that says jail staff, a contracted health provider and an emergency room ignored her worsening symptoms for days.
Reported by: Forensic pathologist Dr. Dawn B. Holmes (medical examiner or coroner); Family's attorney and wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Courtney Tinker's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit over her death at the Jefferson County Detention Facility in Colorado, and no amount has been reported.
News reports (4)
- Investigation underway after inmate death inside Jefferson County Jail
- Families of inmates who have recently died at Jefferson County Jail believe there's a concerning pattern
- Two more families allege negligent inmate care at Jefferson County Jail
- Courtney Tinker’s In-Custody Death Lawsuit Latest to Target Jeffco Jail