Kimberly Bender
Kimberly Bender, 23, died by suicide in the Forks jail in Clallam County, Washington, in December 2019, according to news reports. Weeks before her death, she reported to police that a jail guard had sexually harassed and stalked her in her cell. The city said it fired the guard two days later for probationary reasons, not the harassment. Her mother, Dawn Reid, said she had hoped the jail would be a safer place for her daughter. The family sued the city, which denied negligence, and in November 2022 the city agreed to a $1 million settlement, pending federal court approval.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). KING 5 reports she died by suicide in the Forks jail, and her family's federal lawsuit against the city alleges the city failed to protect her after she reported a guard had sexually harassed and stalked her, while the city denied negligence and later agreed to a $1 million settlement.
Reported by: KING 5 (reporters); Kimberly Bender's family's federal lawsuit against the city (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued the city of Forks in federal court and agreed to a $1 million settlement in November 2022, pending federal court approval.