Kristina Dukes
Kristina Dukes died on March 3, 2024, after being held at the Cocke County Jail in Tennessee in February and March of that year. Before she was taken into custody, she had gone to the front desk of a Newport motel, where she was living, to ask for help during a medical emergency, according to the reporting. Her mother, Deborah Jenkins, has sued Cocke County, the Cocke County Sheriff's Office, the City of Newport and several officials, and the lawsuit says Dukes developed a serious medical condition in jail, was not given emergency treatment, and died after a stroke. The lawsuit says officers denied her the medical treatment she needed.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). Her mother, Deborah Jenkins, says in a wrongful death lawsuit that Cocke County jail staff did not give Kristina Dukes emergency treatment for a serious medical condition before she suffered a stroke and died, and the lawsuit's claims are unproven.
Reported by: Deborah Jenkins, her mother, through a wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her mother, Deborah Jenkins, sued Cocke County, the Cocke County Sheriff's Office, the City of Newport and several individuals over her death; no settlement or award amount has been reported.