Elliot Funkhouser
Elliot Funkhouser died in April 2022 at the Delaware County jail in Pennsylvania, where he was held. Prosecutors say he was strangled by another person held in the same jail, and an affidavit of probable cause cited in one report says he was strangled with a bedsheet after officers found him face down in his cell. His family has filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit alleging the county and the private operator of the jail failed to protect him by housing him with a dangerous person. An internal memo written days after his death questions whether classification and housing procedures were followed, a point the estate's lawsuit also raises.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). Prosecutors and the Delaware County Criminal Investigative Division say another person held at the jail strangled him with a bedsheet, while his family's federal wrongful-death lawsuit says the county and private operator failed to protect him by housing him with a dangerous inmate, and an internal memo questions whether classification and housing procedures were followed.
Reported by: prosecutors; Delaware County Criminal Investigative Division (the agency that held him); affidavit of probable cause; his family's federal wrongful-death lawsuit (family or their lawyers); internal memo.
Lawsuit: His family sued Delaware County and the private operator of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in federal court over his death, alleging they failed to protect him by housing him with a dangerous inmate, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.
Sources (4)
- Deaths in Pa. jails are undercounted. Our investigation found dozens of hidden cases
- Deaths in Pa. Jails Are Undercounted. Our Investigation Found Dozens of Hidden Cases
- Exclusive: Delco prison document alleges cover-up regarding inmate murder investigation
- Montgomery County man sentenced to state prison for killing cellmate inside Delco jail