DeAnna Davis
DeAnna Davis, 58, died on March 21, 2023, in her cell at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle, four days after she was taken into the jail. The county said she was found unresponsive around 6 a.m. and that staff found no apparent injuries; the King County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause and manner of death. A family lawsuit says deputies and medical staff ignored days of persistent vomiting and diarrhea, that she was found unresponsive, and that she had died some time before a guard checked on her. The lawsuit alleges deliberate indifference to a serious medical need and says her death came from dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance; King County did not immediately respond to those allegations. Davis had struggled for years with mental health issues after the death of her husband.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The county says the medical examiner will determine the cause, and its jail agency requested an independent Seattle Police Department investigation; DeAnna Davis's family, in a lawsuit against King County and several staff, says deputies and medical staff ignored days of persistent vomiting and diarrhea and that she died of dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance.
Reported by: King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) (the agency that held her); King County Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Seattle Police Department (outside investigators); DeAnna Davis's family and attorneys (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued King County and several jail staff in connection with her death at the King County Correctional Facility; no settlement or award amount has been reported.