Larry Eugene Price Jr.
Larry Eugene Price Jr., 51, was held pretrial at the Sebastian County Detention Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, for about a year before he died there on August 29, 2021. His brother, Rodney Price, described him as loving, funny, and fond of dancing and of being with family. Jail staff found him unresponsive in his cell, and a state crime lab autopsy listed acute dehydration and malnutrition as the cause of death, with the manner recorded as natural. His family's lawsuit alleges that he was kept in solitary confinement, that his psychiatric medications were stopped, that he lost a large share of his body weight, and that staff ignored his worsening condition, while the sheriff denied that staff neglected him and said staff provided food and water. The county and Turn Key Health Clinics, the jail's medical provider, agreed to a $6 million settlement in 2024 without admitting wrongdoing.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). The autopsy attributed his death to acute dehydration and malnutrition and listed the manner as natural, while his family's lawsuit says jail staff and the medical provider neglected his mental health and medical needs in solitary confinement.
Reported by: autopsy report (Arkansas State Crime Lab) (medical examiner or coroner); his family's lawsuit (attorney Erik Heipt) (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued Sebastian County and Turn Key Health Clinics and settled for $6 million in 2024, with each paying $3 million.
News reports (20)
- News report
- Death (Sebastian County Adult Detention Center)
- Starved to Death in an American Jail, the Man Who Couldn’t Pay $100 Bail
- Family of a man who starved to death in Arkansas jail after he couldn't pay $100 bail sue prison
- Family of a man they say starved to death at the Sebastian County jail files suit - The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
- Family of starved Arkansas inmate sues after dying at 90-lb.
- A man pointed a finger gun at cops, was jailed for over a year without trial, and starved to death behind bars
- Disabled man starved to death in Arkansas jail in 2021
- Sheriff, Jail Health Care Provider Seek Public Money to Increase Staff After Two Women Died
- Jails Health Provider Sued After Inmates Left Dead and Disabled
- Multi-million dollar jail death settlement may be heard by Sebastian County Quorum Court
- Family of man who starved to death in jail gets multimillion-dollar settlement
- $6 million settlement finalized in Sebastian County jail death case
- After Arkansas Jail Inmate Starved to Death, Officials Highlight Failings
- Arkansas county jail and health provider agree to $6 million settlement over detainee's 2021 death
- Sebastian County, Turn Key Health Clinics agree to $6 million settlement over jail detainee’s 2021 death - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
- Man Died in Jail After Being Unable to Pay $1,000 Bail. His Family Will Receive a $6 Million Settlement
- Arkansas detainee died of starvation and neglect, lawsuit claims - ABC News
- Video Arkansas sheriff responds to lawsuit over inmate's death by dehydration - ABC News
- Concerns with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s office