Lacey Higdem
Lacey Higdem, 19, was a young mother whose family describes her as funny, bubbly and universally loved, and who was devoted to her son. She died on June 4, 2020, while held at the Rolette County Jail in North Dakota, after being booked following a hospital visit, where she had been found in distress under the influence of methamphetamine. Her family's federal lawsuit says jail officers failed to carry out required checks and did not get her the medical help she needed before she was found unresponsive, and the county made a $2 million offer of judgment that Allen accepted. The sheriff attributed the death mainly to a drug problem, and state inspectors were said to be investigating possible protocol violations, including missing medical screening and missed well-being checks.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). The sheriff attributed the death mainly to a drug problem, while her family's lawsuit says jail officers failed to monitor her and get her medical help as her methamphetamine intoxication worsened, and did not give CPR.
Reported by: Rolette County Sheriff (the agency that held her); Lacey Higdem's family and their attorneys (Robins Kaplan LLP lawsuit) (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued Rolette County and accepted a $2 million settlement in 2025 after the county made an offer of judgment in federal court.
News reports (6)
- News report
- North Dakota's temporary closure of a county jail over death triggers rating review
- Newly-discovered evidence creates stir in years-old North Dakota jail death case
- Family of woman who died while in Rolette County custody awarded $2 million in settlement - KFYR-TV
- Family receives $2 million after 19-year-old dies in Rolette County Jail
- Rolette County Jail defendants to pay $2 million to family of woman who died in custody