Jason Rothe
Jason Rothe, 50, had schizophrenia and was held at the Secure Psychiatric Unit at the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord, where he was moved after treatment at New Hampshire Hospital. He died on April 29, 2023, after corrections officers tried to remove him from a day room. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide from compressional and positional asphyxiation, while the defense argued he died of a heart attack. A former officer charged with second-degree murder was acquitted in 2025, and his sister, Aimee Khatib, brought a wrongful death lawsuit alleging officers kept him face down after he was handcuffed and that the Department of Corrections failed to train staff; the officer has settled his part of the suit, and the rest continues.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed). The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide from compressional and positional asphyxia, while the defense says he died of a heart attack, and his estate's lawsuit says officers kept him face-down after he was handcuffed.
Reported by: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Mitchell Weinberg) (medical examiner or coroner); New Hampshire Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); New Hampshire Attorney General's Office (outside investigators); his sister's wrongful death lawsuit (Aimee Khatib) and estate (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His estate and sister, Aimee Khatib, sued the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, a former commissioner and several officers in federal court over his death. A former officer acquitted of second-degree murder in the death later settled his part of the suit for an undisclosed amount, and the case against the other defendants continues.
Sources (22)
- Untimely Death at Secure Psychiatric Unit
- New Hampshire psychiatric unit patient dies after altercation with guards, AG says
- Recent death renews concerns about conditions at NH Secure Psychiatric Unit: 'This is a prison. This is not a hospital.'
- State officials investigating death at Northern NH Correctional Facility
- They needed psychiatric care. Instead, they died after confrontations with NH corrections officers.
- They needed psychiatric care. Instead, they died after confrontations with NH corrections officers
- Lawyers want to question former NH corrections chief in trial over prison death
- State Doesn’t Want Ex-DOC Head Helen Hanks Questioned in Prison Guard Murder Trial
- DOC Nurse Gets Immunity Deal Ahead of Prison Murder Trial
- Trial starts for former guard accused in 2023 death at NH's Secure Psychiatric Unit
- Former prison guard stands trial in death of patient at NH’s Secure Psychiatric Unit
- State’s Witness Disciplined for Lying During Rothe Prison Death Investigation
- “A failure of supervision” — In murder trial, defense argues institutional shortcomings at Department of Corrections failed Matthew Millar
- Matthew Millar Not Guilty in Jason Rothe’s Death in Prison Secure Psychiatric Unit
- ‘He’s coming home’: Jury acquits former prison guard Matthew Millar in murder trial
- Former N.H. corrections officer acquitted in 2022 psychiatric unit death
- Department of Corrections Murder Case Wiped From Records
- Sister of Dead SPU Inmate Sues DOC, Accuses Ex-Commissioner Hanks of Coverup
- Lawsuit alleges New Hampshire prison's training failure
- Sister of Jason Rothe files wrongful death lawsuit against NH prison guards, nearly three years after his death
- Ex-Corrections Officer Who Was Acquitted of Murder Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit
- Ex-Corrections Officer Who Was Acquitted Of Murder Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit