Daniel Schlienz
Daniel Schlienz, 42, of Grand Marais, was held at the St. Louis County Jail in Minnesota in late December 2011. He showed signs of medical distress on the evening of December 26 and was taken to a Duluth hospital, where he died the next morning. The chief medical examiner, Dr. Tom Uncini, ruled the manner of death undetermined pending lab tests, and an autopsy linked a bacterial infection to a rare blood disorder, DIC. His sister, Bev Wolke, said he had coughed on and off for a couple of years and should have been treated sooner, and the family is pursuing a lawsuit against the county, while the sheriff's office said staff did their jobs well.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner found a bacterial infection that led to a blood disorder (DIC) and left the manner undetermined pending lab tests, while his family's lawsuit says jail staff did not get him medical care soon enough once he showed signs of distress.
Reported by: St. Louis County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Tom Uncini (medical examiner or coroner); his family.
Lawsuit: His family sued St. Louis County over his care at the jail, and the sheriff says staff did their jobs well; no settlement or award amount is reported.