Jacob Gutierrez
Jacob Gutierrez, 27, of Alamogordo, died by suicide in 2023 while held in pretrial detention at the Otero County Adult Detention Facility in New Mexico. His family's wrongful death claim, brought with the New Mexico Prison and Jail Project, says he had made several suicide attempts in his first nine days there and that staff knew he was at risk. The claim says he was then placed alone in a cell with a phone cord, which he used to hang himself. Otero County and VitalCore Health Strategies agreed to pay $2,010,000 to settle the claim, and neither responded to requests for comment.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). His family's wrongful death claim, with the New Mexico Prison and Jail Project, says staff knew he was suicidal after several attempts in his first nine days yet left him alone in a cell with a phone cord he used to hang himself.
Reported by: family's wrongful death claim (with the New Mexico Prison and Jail Project) (family or their lawyers); Otero County and VitalCore Health Strategies (the agency that held him).
Lawsuit: His family brought a wrongful death claim against Otero County and VitalCore Health Strategies, which agreed to pay $2,010,000 to settle it.