Jema Schunke
Jema Schunke, 47, was held at the Duval County Jail in Jacksonville, Florida, when she was found unresponsive in her cell during routine rounds on August 15, 2025. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said she had been in a physical fight with her cellmate, who was seen on surveillance video attacking her, while the cellmate told police Schunke fell from her bed. Schunke was taken to UF Health and died there a week later on August 22, 2025. The Medical Examiner's Office is investigating the cause of death, and the sheriff's office said cold case detectives are working with it on the case, including a separate altercation earlier that week.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed). The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says a cellmate attacked Jema Schunke on surveillance video, while the cellmate told police she fell from her bed, and the Medical Examiner's Office has not yet ruled on the cause of death.
Reported by: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (the agency that held her); Jema Schunke's cellmate (witnesses).