Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith was 23 and had a 2-year-old daughter, Ka'Nayaa. His mother, Tracy Woodson-Smith, said he had no known medical conditions. He died in January 2023 while held at the Harris County Jail, where the sheriff's office said he had a medical emergency, was seen by jail clinic staff, and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later listed atherosclerotic coronary artery disease as the cause of death, but his mother questions that report, says the county has given the family little information, and says camera footage has not been released. She wants to know whether he had any marks on him, and the family is still waiting for answers.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed). The autopsy report lists atherosclerotic coronary artery disease as the cause of death, but his mother questions the report's credibility and says the county has not released camera footage.
Reported by: autopsy report; Harris County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him).
News reports (5)
- 13 Investigates: Harris County on track to exceed inmate death after 4 inmates die in the month of January
- FBI agrees to review two deaths at Harris County Jail as families demand federal investigation
- County officials have created a ‘culture of death’ inside the Harris County Jail, lawsuit alleges
- Custodial death report 23-195-CJ
- ‘We want answers’: More federal lawsuits filed over allegations of abuse and neglect within the Harris County Jail