Lindsey Lason
Lyndsey Lason, 27, died in her cell at the Snohomish County Jail in 2011, about two weeks after she was taken into custody. Her family's lawyer, Royce Ferguson, and forensic pathologist Carl Wigren say she complained of breathing problems and that jail medical staff and corrections officers ignored her, and Wigren said an X-ray would have found lung abscesses. Jail records show she was given stool softeners and muscle relaxants. The family settled a damage claim with the county for $1.3 million, under an agreement that includes jail changes, and her son, who was 11 at the time, was a central concern of the family.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). Her family's lawyer, Royce Ferguson, says jail medical staff and corrections officers ignored her breathing problems, and she was given stool softeners and muscle relaxants instead of a lung-infection workup, which forensic pathologist Carl Wigren says an X-ray would have caught.
Reported by: family's lawyer Royce Ferguson (family or their lawyers); forensic pathologist Carl Wigren (medical examiner or coroner).
Lawsuit: Her family sued Snohomish County and settled for $1.3 million under a written agreement that includes jail changes.