Lewis Nyarecha
Lewis Nyarecha, 25, was a gifted musician who studied at a college in Switzerland and had struggled with mental illness; his brother Leon said the day he died was the worst day of his life. He died on June 6, 2018, at Twin Towers jail in downtown Los Angeles, where he was found unresponsive on a top bunk. His family's lawsuit says jail staff gave him very high doses of the antipsychotic quetiapine, placed him on a top bunk even though a safety criterion called for a lower one, and left him unchecked for many hours. The county coroner ruled the death a suicide from quetiapine toxicity, and a private autopsy commissioned by the family agreed that the medication, not a head injury, caused it. The Sheriff's Department declined to answer questions, citing pending litigation.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The coroner ruled it a suicide from quetiapine toxicity, but his family's lawsuit disputes the ruling and says jail staff gave him very high doses of the antipsychotic, assigned him a top bunk despite a safety criterion for a lower bunk, and left him unchecked for many hours.
Reported by: county coroner; family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); private autopsy commissioned by the family.
Lawsuit: His family sued over his death at Twin Towers, alleging jail staff over-medicated him with quetiapine, assigned him a top bunk and left him unchecked for hours, while the county coroner ruled the death a suicide.