Larry Price Jr.
Larry Price Jr., 51, was held pretrial at the Sebastian County Detention Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, for about a year after being unable to pay a small bail amount. His family, including his brother Rodney Price, says he lived with serious mental illness, was kept in solitary confinement, and had his psychiatric medication stopped. He was found unresponsive in his cell on August 29, 2021, and the state crime lab listed acute dehydration and malnutrition as the cause of death, while the autopsy listed the manner as natural. The family's lawsuit alleges jail and medical staff neglected him, and the county and Turn Key Health Clinics agreed to a $6 million settlement in 2024 without admitting wrongdoing; the sheriff's office said staff provided food and water and that an internal review was underway.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). The autopsy and state crime lab attribute his death to acute dehydration and malnutrition, while his family's lawsuit says jail staff and the medical provider neglected his mental health care and stopped his psychiatric medications, and the sheriff says staff provided food and water.
Reported by: Sebastian County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); autopsy; Arkansas State Crime Lab (outside investigators); family's lawsuit (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 (25)
- News report
- Death (Sebastian County Adult Detention Center)
- Inmate found unresponsive at Sebastian County jail, later dies
- Starved to Death in an American Jail, the Man Who Couldn’t Pay $100 Bail
- Man starved to death in jail after he couldn’t afford $100 bond, lawsuit says
- Family of a man who starved to death in Arkansas jail after he couldn't pay $100 bail sue prison
- Man who couldn’t afford bail dies after losing nearly 100 pounds in jail, lawsuit says - Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- Family of a man they say starved to death at the Sebastian County jail files suit - The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
- Lawsuit filed in death of Arkansas man in Sebastian County jail
- 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
- How a Brutal Jail Death Exposes Arkansas’ ‘Punishing’ Justice System
- 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