Gary Dwayne Stiltner II
Gary Dwayne Stiltner II, 38, died on September 9, 2025, at LeConte Medical Center after being held at the Sevier County Jail Annex in Tennessee. A 2026 autopsy, as reported by WVLT, found that he died of internal bleeding from a shattered spleen and multiple rib fractures after a beating by another person held in his dormitory. The sheriff's office initially said he was hurt in a fight with another person in the dormitory, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was asked to investigate. His widow, Brandy Stiltner, has filed a federal lawsuit saying jail failures, including classification decisions, ignored conflicts and her husband's request not to be housed in that dormitory, led to his death.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). The autopsy reported by the article found a shattered spleen and rib fractures from a beating by another inmate, and Brandy Stiltner's federal lawsuit says jail classification failures, ignored gang conflicts and her husband's request not to be housed there led to his death, while the Sevier County Sheriff's Office says he was injured in a fist fight and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating.
Reported by: autopsy as reported in article; Brandy Stiltner's federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Sevier County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Michael Hodges) (the agency that held him); Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (outside investigators).
Lawsuit: His widow, Brandy Stiltner, filed a federal lawsuit alleging that classification failures at the Sevier County Jail led to his death, and no settlement or award has been reported.