Joey Conrad
Joey Conrad, 42, was a father of four who took care of his mother, Nancy Montoya, and his family says he always had a hello for everybody. He died on February 28, 2022, while in the custody of the Weber County Jail in Utah, after deputies found him in a housing section and tried lifesaving measures before he was taken to McKay-Dee Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Weber County Sheriff's Office says he died by suicide, and the county attorney's office is investigating. His mother says jail staff should have checked on him more often and paid closer attention to his depression and withdrawal, and that she had told staff about his drug problem and asked them to watch him. A jail lieutenant said guards are required to check on inmates hourly and often check every 45 minutes, and that the jail's internal investigation found nothing concerning.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The Weber County Sheriff's Office says Joey Conrad died by apparent suicide between cell checks, while his mother, Nancy Montoya, says jail staff ignored his depression and drug problem and failed to watch him as she had asked.
Reported by: Weber County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); Lt. Joshua Marigoni, Weber County Jail corrections spokesperson (the agency that held him); Nancy Montoya, his mother (family or their lawyers); Standard-Examiner (reporters).
News reports (7)
- Weber County jail death under investigation
- Inmate dies at Weber County jail
- 2 northern Utah jails report in-custody suicides
- Inmate dies in Utah jail — the third in February
- Utah jail deaths surged back to a concerning high in 2020. What’s being done?
- Resurgent Utah jail deaths prompt new legislative action - Standard-Examiner
- Weber County inmate’s death underscores challenges of fighting jail suicide - Standard-Examiner