John Griswold
John Griswold, 54, died in October 2018 while held at the Livingston County Jail in Michigan. According to his family's federal lawsuit and his lawyer, Brian McKeen, he was held without adequate medical care after vomiting in his cell, and deputies did not seek help despite signs of a serious medical need. A hospital doctor had reportedly cleared him of immediate risk before he was taken to the jail, and the autopsy, as described in the suit, lists sudden cardiac arrest as the cause of death. Court rulings have since allowed the claims against the county and several deputies to proceed, while a federal appeals court granted qualified immunity to 11 officers, according to a May 2026 report.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The autopsy, as described in court documents and his estate's lawsuit, lists sudden cardiac arrest as the cause; his estate says deputies ignored his vomiting and signs of serious illness and gave him no medical care through the night.
Reported by: Livingston County Jail (the agency that held him); autopsy report cited in the federal lawsuit; Griswold's estate and family's lawyer Brian McKeen (family or their lawyers); federal court.
Lawsuit: His estate sued jail officials in federal court over his death, alleging deliberate indifference, and the case has continued through court rulings in 2025 and 2026; no settlement or award amount has been reported. Court record: Griswold v. Trinity Health-Michigan (E.D. Mich., 2022).
Sources (4)
- Federal judge allows case against Michigan county jail to go to trial
- Lawsuits alleging negligence in death, amputations continue against Livingston County Jail
- Cops Get Qualified Immunity After Michigan Man Spends 13 Hours in Vomit and Dies in Jail
- Livingston County Seeks Dismissal Of 2018 Lawsuit Over Death Of Jail Inmate