David Horvath
David Horvath was a 14-year-old from Mesa who was held in the intake unit of Adobe Mountain School in Phoenix. His mother, Barbara Horvath, said he told staff his medication made him sleepy and agitated, and that he felt no one was listening to him. He died by hanging with a bed sheet on July 11, 2002, three months after another teen at the facility died the same way. A U.S. Department of Justice investigation letter, as reported by the East Valley Tribune, found that staff did not review his earlier suicide threats and attempts and checked on him only every 10 minutes. His mother says staff let him die after emergency help took about 15 minutes to arrive, and the family's lawsuit against the state was settled in December for an undisclosed sum.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The U.S. Department of Justice found in its investigation letter that staff did not review his earlier suicide threats and attempts and checked him only every 10 minutes, while his mother says staff let him die and his family's lawsuit settled in December for an undisclosed sum.
Reported by: U.S. Department of Justice (outside investigators); East Valley Tribune (reporters); his mother; his family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued the state of Arizona and settled in December for an undisclosed sum, which is not recorded as a payment.