Manuel Silva
Manuel Silva, Jr., 23, was booked into the Roosevelt County Detention Center in Portales, New Mexico, on June 12, 2019, and placed in a single-occupancy cell. Staff found him unresponsive with a blanket around his neck on June 14, 2019, and he was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. The Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office said in its initial report that he hanged himself, and county officials said they believe he died by suicide, with a final report to await the autopsy. His mother, Myra Abeyta, says he would never take his own life.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office's initial report says he hanged himself, but his mother says he would never take his own life, and the sheriff's office says a final report awaits the autopsy; the report does not show when he was last checked before he was found, and the mother's account and the report's silence on checks are unresolved.
Reported by: Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); Roosevelt County officials (the agency that held him); his mother.