Richard Degraffenreid
Richard Degraffenreid, 35, was held at the Jackson County Detention Center in Missouri from about 11 p.m. on July 20, 2017. Staff placed him in a restraint chair and left him alone in a cell, and a nurse found him not breathing at 1:30 a.m. on July 21. A sheriff's office investigative report said he died of an overdose of methamphetamine and cocaine. His mother and two children filed a wrongful death lawsuit, and a former jail guard alleges that records of required checks were falsified and that his booking photo was replaced after his death. The county denied ordering any falsification and said it lacked information to respond about the photo.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (neglect alleged). The sheriff's office investigative report attributes his death to methamphetamine and cocaine overdose, while a former jail guard alleges that staff falsified records of the required checks, and the county denied ordering any falsification.
Reported by: Jackson County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.