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Died in jail or a lockup

Edward Robinson

32 years old · died September 19, 2018 · Lake County Adult Correctional Center, Lake County, Illinois

Edward Robinson, 32, of Waukegan, Illinois, died on September 19, 2018, while held at the Lake County Jail. His family, including his mother Sandra Raftie, said he had a diagnosed mental illness and needed treatment in a hospital rather than jail, and described him as a beautiful person. Jail staff found him unresponsive in a cell in the administrative segregation unit, and a jail video released by the sheriff shows officers waiting for a nurse, who did not see him until hours after officers reported he was lethargic. An autopsy found no signs of trauma, but the cause of death has been listed differently in different reports, with a later coroner's inquest finding natural causes while his mother's lawyer disputes that finding and says officers left him for hours without medical help. The family says deputies first told them he had died by suicide, which they later learned was false, and the Major Crimes Task Force review is ongoing.

Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Lake County coroner's inquest found natural causes, after an earlier autopsy had listed hypothermia, and his mother's lawyer disputes the finding, saying correctional officers left him for hours without medical help.

Reported by: Lake County coroner's office (medical examiner or coroner); his mother's attorney (family or their lawyers).

Sources (8)

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