Eric Matilton
Eric Matilton was a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, and the tribe publicly called him a beloved tribal member. He was held at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility in November 2023, when deputies found him in his cell after what the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office called an apparent suicide attempt. He was taken to hospital on life support, and the sheriff's office said his injuries were non-survivable. His family asked to donate his organs, as he had wished as a registered donor; the sheriff's office first declined, citing the required investigation, and later reversed that decision after objections from the family and tribe. A Critical Incident Response Team investigation and a forensic autopsy were said to be underway.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office says deputies found him in his cell after an apparent suicide attempt, and the county's Critical Incident Response Team and a forensic autopsy are still pending.
Reported by: Humboldt County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.