Matthew Ryan Hall
Matthew Ryan Hall, 31, of Ogden, was loyal and athletic, his family said, and his brother Nathan said he seemed to deteriorate once he was jailed. He was held at the Weber County Jail while waiting for a bed at the Utah State Hospital, and on February 24, 2017, while on suicide watch, he was badly hurt in his cell. The Disability Law Center said he ran headfirst into a wall three times and then leapt or fell from a railing, and his family says he should not have been kept alone in a cell and did not believe he was suicidal. The Weber County Sheriff's Office concluded he was alone and responsible for his injuries and that staff responded appropriately, while a Standard-Examiner review of records reported that staff did not stabilize his head before he was taken to the hospital. He died at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2017.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The Standard-Examiner's review of police reports and jail records describes him repeatedly striking his head on a cell wall and floor while on suicide watch, and the Disability Law Center says he ran headfirst into a wall and leapt or fell from a railing; his family says he should not have been kept alone in a jail cell and plans a wrongful death lawsuit, and the Weber County Sheriff's Office concluded staff responded appropriately and he was responsible for his injuries.
Reported by: Standard-Examiner review of police reports, court documents, jail records and hospital records (reporters); Disability Law Center (advocates); Weber County Sheriff's Office (Lt. Nathan Hutchinson) (the agency that held him); his family.