Deaths in Custody
Died in jail or a lockup

Kristopher McGregor

39 years old · died January 30, 2025 · Harris County Detention Center, Harris County, Texas

Kristopher McGregor, 39, a former University of Houston football player, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and died at Ben Taub Hospital on January 30, 2025, after being taken there from the Harris County Jail, where he had been held. His mother, Citterece McGregor, says he was a kind and caring man who loved his family and that his death was preventable. A federal civil rights lawsuit she filed says jail staff knew of his illness and his difficulty seeking care, and that he died of sepsis from an untreated strep throat infection. The Harris County Sheriff's Office says an autopsy found a natural death from septic complications, and the medical examiner's cause-of-death determination was earlier listed as pending.

Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The sheriff's office says an autopsy found a natural death from septic complications, while his family's federal lawsuit says jail staff ignored his worsening mental health needs and his untreated strep throat, and Texas Jail Project director Krish Gundu says he starved to death after his throat closed.

Reported by: Harris County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); his family's federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Krish Gundu, Texas Jail Project (advocates).

Lawsuit: His mother, Citterece McGregor, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in January 2026 against Harris County, the sheriff and the jail medical director, alleging the death was preventable.

News reports (9)

Read the Texas reportSee on the Texas mapSee on the national mapAll records

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