Larra Ann Gillis
Larra Ann Gillis, 47, was held at the Monterey County Jail in California in early December 2015, after campus police took her into custody. Jail staff found her unresponsive in a padded safety cell on December 5, after about 28 hours inside, and she was taken to Natividad Medical Center, where she died of organ failure and sepsis on December 19. Her family said she had three children and others she helped raise, and that she would do anything for anybody. Her sons' lawsuit says staff failed to monitor her and gave her little food, water or medical care while she was detoxing and infected, and the county and California Forensic Medical Group settled for $825,000 without admitting fault. The sheriff's office said it conducted an extensive review after her death.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). Her family's lawsuit says jail staff failed to monitor her and provide necessary medical care, and that she got little food or water while detoxing and infected; the county called her death tragic and the suit settled for about $825,000 without the county admitting fault.
Reported by: Donald Villareal, her common-law husband (family or their lawyers); Elise Sanguinetti, attorney for Gillis' sons (family or their lawyers); Gillis' children's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Monterey County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held her); U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh (court).
Lawsuit: Her sons sued Monterey County and California Forensic Medical Group over her death and settled the wrongful death suit for $825,000 in total.