Gynnya McMillen
Gynnya McMillen was 16 and had lived at Maryhurst, a Louisville child-welfare agency, where a former counselor remembered her as a quiet, beautiful person; her sister, LaChe Simms, said she had been healthy. She was found dead in her cell at Lincoln Village Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on January 11, 2016, about a day after she was taken there, and state officials said she appeared to have died in her sleep. The state medical examiner, citing the Mayo Clinic, attributed her death to Inherited Long QT Syndrome, a rare heart rhythm disorder. The state said a staff member failed to conduct the required 15-minute bed checks and falsified logs, and that staff had used an Aikido restraint on her during booking to remove her hooded sweatshirt. Her family's federal lawsuit says a staff member watched her seizing on surveillance video without intervening and that CPR was delayed, and it disputes that she died of natural causes.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner and Mayo Clinic attributed her death to Inherited Long QT Syndrome, a heart condition, while her family's federal lawsuit disputes the natural-death account, saying staff missed dozens of bed checks, falsified logs, and did not attempt resuscitation; state investigators found staff failed required bed checks and falsified logs.
Reported by: Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office and Mayo Clinic (medical examiner or coroner); Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice (the agency that held her); Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet (the agency that held her); Her family's federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her mother sued in federal court in 2016 (McMillen v. Windham), and the family's federal lawsuit over her death is reported as still pending, with no settlement or award reported. Court record: McMillen v. Windham (W.D. Ky., 2016).
Sources (41)
- News report
- Questions remain after teen dies in Ky. juvenile detention
- 16-Year-Old Found Dead In Juvenile Detention Center
- Ky. official: Gynnya McMillen appears to have died "while sleeping"
- Gynnya McMillen’s Death In A Kentucky Detention Center: What We Know
- New Details Emerge in Gynnya McMillen's Death
- In case oddly similar to Sandra Bland’s, 16-year-old found dead in custody
- Kentucky Detention Center Staffer Failed To Monitor Gynnya McMillen, State Says
- Juvenile detention employee placed on leave after investigation into teen's death
- "Alarms" missed the day Gynnya McMillen died, experts say
- Gynnya McMillen Restrained In Detention Center Altercation Before Her Death, State Says
- Official: Detention staff used martial arts on Gynnya McMillen
- Teen Girl Was Restrained By Prison Guards Before She Died In Her Cell
- HEAR THE AUDIO: Kentucky jail staffers waited 11 minutes to begin CPR after teen who was restrained with martial arts move found dead
- Audio: CPR started 11 minutes after staff found Gynnya McMillen
- Gynnya McMillen put in a martial arts restraint dies in Kentucky police custody
- King: The death of 16-year-old Gynnya McMillen in police custody should be a wake up call to America
- Lawyer for Gynnya McMillen's family will hire independent experts
- Detention Center Staffer In Gynnya McMillen Case Has A History Of Misconduct
- Juvenile Justice Head Ousted Following Gynnya McMillen’s Death
- 2 people let go amid investigation into teen's death
- Detention Center Staff In Gynnya McMillen Case Fired After Years Of Misconduct
- Juvenile Justice Head Ousted Following Gynnya McMillen's Death
- Employee, Juvenile Justice commissioner fired after teen's death at detention center in Elizabethtown
- KyCIR: Juvenile Justice commissioner removed following death of teen in state-run detention center
- Why Did a 16-Year-Old Black Girl Just Die in a Kentucky Cell?
- Gynnya McMillen’s Mysterious Death: Two Months Later
- Girl Died In Detention Cell From Irregular Heartbeat, Not Physical Trauma, Officials Say
- Cause of death determined after teen dies at detention center
- Gynnya McMillen Died Of Medical Condition In Juvenile Detention Center, State Says
- Indicted Kentucky juvenile staffer Victor Holt has excessive force history
- Investigation Continues in Death of Gynnya McMillen, 16-Year-Old Girl Who Died in Police Custody
- EXCLUSIVE: Gynnya McMillen's family sues Lincoln Village workers, state officials
- One Year Ago, Gynnya McMillen Died Alone In A Detention Center
- What Did, Didn't Make It Through This Legislative Session
- Juvenile detention center where teen inmate died to cease operations
- Gynnya McMillen case: Kentucky to close juvenile detention center where teen died
- Kentucky to close juvenile detention center where teen died
- State To Close Detention Center Where Gynnya McMillen Died