Lacey Handjis
Lacey Handjis, 37, was an Adams County resident whose family sought help for her, but they were told she could not be committed in Montgomery County because she was not a resident there. She was moved to the Adams County Jail, where guards on rounds found her unresponsive the day after the transfer, on August 29, 2023. The Adams County Sheriff's Office has not determined a cause of death, and the autopsy at the Mississippi State Crime Lab is pending, with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation assisting. Sheriff Travis Patten said, "Our heart aches for this family."
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (neglect alleged). Her family says they sought help for her but were told she could not be committed in Montgomery County because she was not a resident there.
Reported by: Adams County Jail (the agency that held her); Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (outside investigators); Her family (family or their lawyers).