Michael O’Connor
Michael O'Connor, 33, was found unresponsive in his cell at Cook County Jail on December 25, 2023, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His brother, attorney Martin O'Connor, says Michael had a long history of mental health problems and should have been hospitalized rather than held in segregation, and that his body showed bruising consistent with an assault. His mother, Valentina O'Connor, has said no one was there to stop what happened to him. The Cook County Sheriff's Office said foul play was not suspected, and the autopsy did not determine a cause of death while the Illinois State Police investigate.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The sheriff's office says no foul play was suspected and the cause is pending autopsy, while his brother, attorney Martin O'Connor, says bruising showed an assault and calls for a full state police investigation; his family also says he should have been hospitalized for mental health issues and that the jail cross-watched a psychiatric tier the day he died.
Reported by: Cook County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force (outside investigators); his brother, attorney Martin O'Connor (family or their lawyers); the medical examiner.
News reports (7)
- Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Death in Custody Reports (edition of 2026-07-28)
- Foul play not suspected following death of Cook County Jail detainee: sheriff - Chicago Sun-Times
- Inmate found dead in Cook County Jail cell
- Cook County Jail Detainee Dies While in Custody
- Family of deceased Cook County Jail inmate calls for ‘full and fair’ probe following death in custody
- Cook County Jail’s deadliest year in decades reveals repeated lapses and failed oversight
- Understaffing, missed checks top jail code violations in Illinois