Deaths in Custody
Died in jail or a lockup

Jorden Marie Simms

28 years old · died December 28, 2019 · Graham County Adult Detention Center, Graham County, Arizona

Jorden Marie Simms, 28, a mother, daughter, sister and niece whom her family remembers as kind, funny and full of joy, was held at the Graham County Jail in Arizona in late December 2019. The sheriff's office said she opened a rear door of a moving transport vehicle while being taken to a hospital for a medical exam and jumped out, suffering a severe head injury; she was flown to Tucson, declared brain dead, and died on December 28. Her family disputes that account, saying she had reported sexual assault by officers and was not suicidal, and the medical examiner classified the manner of death as undetermined. Her mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit, which a federal jury decided in the sheriff's office's favor in February 2024, and an appeal has been filed. The Arizona Department of Public Safety investigated her assault allegations and found them unsubstantiated.

Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The sheriff's office says she jumped from a moving transport vehicle, the Pima County medical examiner lists the manner as undetermined, and her family disputes the account and says the county failed to transport her safely.

Reported by: Graham County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held her); Pima County Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); her family and their lawyers; a federal jury; Gila Herald (reporters).

Lawsuit: Her mother sued Graham County over her death, and a federal jury found for the Graham County Sheriff's Office in February 2024, with no payment ordered; her mother has appealed that verdict.

News reports (11)

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Questions, a correction, or a death I’ve missed? Email me at orion.j.taylor@gmail.com.