Emily Rae Rice
Emily Rae Rice, 24, died on February 19, 2006, at the Denver City Jail, roughly 20 hours after she was released from a hospital where she had been treated for a lacerated spleen and liver. An autopsy found that internal bleeding from those injuries caused her death. Other people held at the jail told investigators she cried for help for hours, while deputies and a nurse said she did not appear seriously injured. Her family sued Denver Health, which settled for $4 million and agreed to change its patient screening and treatment, and their lawsuit against the Denver Sheriff's Department, the city and several deputies was still unresolved when it was reported.
Cause of death, as reported: Died in an accident (disputed; neglect alleged). The autopsy found she bled to death from a ruptured spleen and lacerated liver from injuries in a car crash, and her family's lawsuit says staff failed to act on her condition, while fellow inmates say she cried for help for hours and deputies and a nurse said she did not appear seriously injured.
Reported by: Denver police investigation report (outside investigators); autopsy; Denver Sheriff's deputies and a nurse (the agency that held her); fellow inmates; the family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued the city and county of Denver, Denver Health and the Denver Sheriff's Department, and Denver Health reached a $4 million settlement in which the hospital agreed to change patient screening and treatment; the lawsuit against the sheriff's department, the city and several deputies was still unresolved at the time of reporting.