Khayla Evans
Khayla Evans, 24, had an intellectual disability and a history of psychiatric issues, and her family described her death as leaving a gaping hole in their hearts. A judge had ordered her to a state hospital for restoration, but no beds were available for women, so she was held at the Lake County Jail for about 67 days, where a jail nurse said she was getting progressively worse. She was found unresponsive in her cell on December 16, 2022, and was pronounced dead at a hospital; the coroner's office has listed the manner as pending, with the cause given as cardiac arrest, and toxicology and other testing were still awaited when the reports were published. Her family's lawsuit against the county and the jail's medical provider alleges she did not receive proper medical care, and those claims are disputed.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Lake County Sheriff's Office reported natural causes, and the coroner's autopsy found underlying medical conditions with the final cause awaiting testing, but her family's lawsuit alleges she did not receive proper medical care while she waited about 67 days in jail for a state hospital bed as her health declined.
Reported by: Lake County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held her); Lake County coroner's office (medical examiner or coroner); her family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued Lake County, the jail's medical provider and others, alleging she did not receive proper medical care, and no amount has been reported.
News reports (4)
- Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Death in Custody Reports (edition of 2026-07-28)
- Coroner IDs Woman, 24, Found Dead In Lake County Jail Cell
- Too mentally ill for trial, she spent months in an Illinois jail as the state looked for a hospital bed. She died waiting.
- Suicidal woman sent to suffer in silence of solitary confinement. Then she killed herself.