Jeremy Scott Thomas
Jeremy Thomas was a Marine veteran who lost a hand in Afghanistan in 2011, and his family's attorney, J.R. Wilkinson, describes him as a father who deserved better. He died on May 29, 2019, while held at the Central Jail in San Diego. The attorney says Thomas told medical staff he was going through withdrawal and was sent back to his cell rather than being treated and monitored. A wrongful death suit filed on behalf of his 10-year-old daughter says he had told jail staff about his medical problems and was kept about six hours in the jail's medical unit instead of being sent to a hospital. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office attributed his death to heart disease and methamphetamine toxicity and classified it as accidental.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office attributed the death to heart disease and methamphetamine toxicity and ruled it accidental, while the family's attorney J.R. Wilkinson says jail staff sent him back to his cell instead of treating and monitoring him, and a wrongful death suit filed for his daughter says he was kept about six hours in the medical unit rather than sent to a hospital.
Reported by: San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); J.R. Wilkinson, attorney retained by the Thomas family (family or their lawyers); wrongful death suit filed on behalf of his 10-year-old daughter (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His 10-year-old daughter filed a wrongful death suit alleging jail staff failed to provide timely medical care, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.