Daejon Morgan
Daejon Morgan, 20, called his mother every day from his cell at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles County and would ask her to hold the phone up so his dog Hunter could hear his voice. He died in his cell on October 30, 2024, and an autopsy attributed his death to an overdose of fentanyl and heroin. His family says jail staff were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs after he was hospitalized for an earlier overdose weeks before his death. The county has denied liability and disputes most of the family's claims in an ongoing federal lawsuit. Los Angeles County Health Services has said there is currently no wait list for addiction treatment, though the article also links jail overdoses in the county to long waits for such treatment.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (neglect alleged). The autopsy attributes the death to fentanyl and heroin, and his family's federal lawsuit says jail staff were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs after an earlier overdose hospitalization weeks before he died.
Reported by: autopsy; his family's federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued Los Angeles County in federal court over his death, and the county has denied liability and disputed most of their claims.