Jordan Payne
Jordan Payne, 39, died by hanging in his cell at the Madison County Jail in Iowa on June 12, 2020. His family's federal wrongful death lawsuit against Madison County and Eyerly-Ball Community Health Services says intake screening recorded a history of mental illness and suicide attempts, yet he was placed in a single cell without suicide precautions. The lawsuit also says staff did not check on his cell for more than an hour before he was found. The county, the health organization and the individual defendants had not yet responded to the lawsuit when it was reported.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). His family's federal wrongful death lawsuit says jail staff placed him in a single cell without suicide precautions despite a history of mental illness and suicide attempts, and did not check his cell for more than an hour before finding him.
Reported by: his family's federal wrongful death lawsuit against Madison County and Eyerly-Ball Community Health Services (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Madison County and Eyerly-Ball Community Health Services, alleging he was placed in a single cell without suicide precautions despite a history of mental illness and suicide attempts; no settlement or award amount has been reported.