Joe Sertain
Joe Sertain, 38, was held at the White County Detention Center in Georgia when he had a medical emergency there in May 2021. The White County Sheriff's Office said he was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, where he later died, and asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate. A later report citing the state medical examiner's office ruled his death accidental, attributing it to acute methamphetamine toxicity after he reportedly swallowed a bag of the drug before he was taken into custody. The accounts give different dates of death, May 24 and May 25, 2021.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose. The state medical examiner ruled his death accidental, finding acute methamphetamine toxicity after he reportedly swallowed a bag of the drug before his arrest, while the White County Sheriff's Office called it a medical emergency and has released no further details.
Reported by: White County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); state medical examiner's office (medical examiner or coroner).