Hunter Lee Johnson
Hunter Johnson was 19, and his father, Dave Johnson, remembers his big smile and how close he was with his teenage son. Hunter died after a suicide attempt while he was held at the Laramie County Detention Center in Wyoming; WyoFile gives the date as December 26, 2015, while other reports give December 27 and say he had tried to hang himself five days earlier. Court records show that deputies did not watch the cell video live, so staff did not know he was actively suicidal in the hour before the attempt. His family sued county officials; a federal judge dismissed some claims, and the family settled the rest.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (neglect alleged). Court records say he died by suicide after an attempt in the Laramie County Detention Center, and the court records say deputies did not watch the cell video live, so staff did not know he was actively suicidal in the hour before the attempt.
Reported by: court documents; Wyoming Tribune Eagle (reporters).
Lawsuit: His family sued Laramie County officials in federal court in 2017 (Johnson v. Laramie County Board of County Commissioners); a judge dismissed some claims, the family settled the rest for an amount not reported, and the case closed in 2019. Court record: Johnson v. Laramie County Board of County Commissioners (D. Wyo., 2017).