Eric Petersen
Eric C. Petersen, 46, was a father of two who had Type 1 diabetes, and his children remember his calls about school and their blood sugar, his love of cooking, animals, fishing and nature. He died on June 13, 2022 at the Rock Island County Jail in Illinois, where he was held. The sheriff's office said correctional officers found him unresponsive in his cell around 7 p.m. and that staff and fire department members performed emergency care, and it reported the death as natural while the county coroner and investigators reviewed it. His mother, Patricia Keitel, has sued the county and its former healthcare provider, MEnD Correctional Care, saying his repeated requests for blood sugar checks were ignored and that he died of ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes; that case was still pending as of December 2025.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Rock Island County Sheriff's Office reported a natural medical issue, while his mother's lawsuit says ketoacidosis from Type 1 diabetes followed staff ignoring his repeated requests for blood sugar checks.
Reported by: Rock Island County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); his mother, Patricia Keitel, in a lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His mother, Patricia Keitel, sued over his death at the Rock Island County Jail, alleging jail staff ignored his repeated requests for blood sugar checks; the case against the county and MEnD Correctional Care was still pending as of December 2025.