Jeremy Cunningham
Jeremy Cunningham, 34, was the father of a son who is now 15 and is being cared for by Cindy Telford, Jeremy's mother, who says the settlement will help pay for the boy's college education. He had a heart condition and died in 2011 at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility after having a seizure in his cell. According to the estate's wrongful death lawsuit, his cellmate pressed the emergency button, but a sergeant dismissed the seizure as snoring and hung up the call, and paramedics found him dead about two hours later. The lawsuit was settled for $1 million in June, with the state not admitting wrongdoing. His mother says the money does not bring the accountability she wanted, and that losing her child never goes away.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (neglect alleged). The estate's lawsuit says Cunningham, who had a heart condition, had a seizure in his cell, and that a sergeant dismissed his cellmate's emergency call as snoring and hung up before paramedics found him dead about two hours later.
Reported by: estate's wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His estate sued over his death at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility and settled for $1 million, with the state not admitting wrongdoing.