Raquel Saldivar
Raquel Saldivar, 31, died on May 23, 2023, while held at the Leavenworth County Jail in Kansas. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said no foul play was suspected, and an autopsy later found methamphetamine and fentanyl intoxication as the cause of death. Lawsuits filed by her estate and the adoptive parent of one of her children say jail staff and the contracted medical provider denied her adequate care while she suffered opioid withdrawal. Her attorney describes her as a person struggling with addiction, and her family calls her death preventable and tragic.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). The KBI autopsy attributes her death to methamphetamine and fentanyl intoxication, while her estate and the adoptive parent of one of her children allege in lawsuits that jail staff and the contracted medical provider denied her adequate care during opioid withdrawal.
Reported by: Kansas Bureau of Investigation (outside investigators); lawsuits filed by her estate and the adoptive parent of one of her children.
Lawsuit: Her estate and the adoptive parent of one of her children filed lawsuits alleging that jail staff and the contracted medical provider denied her adequate care during opioid withdrawal, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.