Michael J. Duffalo
Michael Duffalo, 37, died at the Clearfield County Jail in Pennsylvania on March 10, 2019. His daughter, Mikayla Duffalo of Brockway, brought a federal lawsuit on his behalf, saying a mental health screener diagnosed him with Major Depressive Disorder but jail officials did not classify him as a suicide risk and took no preventive action. The lawsuit says he asked an officer for an extra bed sheet early that morning and was denied, and that he was found hanging from a sheet tied to the vent in his cell at 6:10 a.m. Officers attempted CPR but could not revive him, and the county officials and mental health provider named in the amended lawsuit had not responded when the article was published.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The family's federal lawsuit, filed by his daughter Mikayla Duffalo, says jail officials did not classify him as a suicide risk despite a depression diagnosis, and that he was denied a requested extra bed sheet before he was found hanging from a sheet tied to the cell vent.
Reported by: his daughter Mikayla Duffalo, through a federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His daughter, Mikayla Duffalo, sued in federal court over his death, and the amended suit names county officials and the mental health provider as defendants; no settlement or verdict amount has been reported.