Derek Strother
Derek Strother was a roofer and car detailer who worked steadily and provided for his family, including twin children nearly five years old. His mother said, "Derek was a hard worker. He was a good person." In February 2024 he was found unresponsive in his cell at the Oklahoma County Jail and was pronounced dead at a hospital. The coroner's office reported narcotics overdose, and his mother says the coroner told her he died of fentanyl and methamphetamine. She says she never received the jail's investigation results and believes headaches from an earlier head injury may have played a part in his drug use.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose. The coroner attributed his death to fentanyl and methamphetamine, and his mother says she never received the jail's investigation results.
Reported by: the county coroner; his mother.