Nicholas Overfield
Nicholas Overfield, 39, was a man living with HIV who was held at the El Dorado County Jail in California in early 2022. His mother described him as an all-around good guy with many friends who was always willing to help anybody and wanted to help people. His family says he was not given his prescribed antiretroviral medication while held, and that his health declined until he was taken to hospitals and placed in hospice, where he died in June 2022. The county death certificate lists encephalitis and vasculitis linked to the varicella-zoster virus, while the family's lawsuit against the jail, its health care contractor and the county disputes the care he received.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The death certificate lists encephalitis and vasculitis linked to the varicella-zoster virus, while his family's lawsuit says jail staff withheld his prescribed HIV antiretroviral medication and his health declined without adequate treatment.
Reported by: El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency (medical examiner or coroner); his family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued El Dorado County, its jail health care contractor and the county jail over his care, and no payment amount has been reported.