Robert Martel
Robert Martel died in May 2021 while held at the Valley Street Jail in Manchester, New Hampshire. Records describe him as beginning to show signs of alcohol withdrawal soon after arriving, and say he was treated by the jail's nursing staff. He was later found unresponsive in his cell. The state medical examiner attributed his death to hypertensive heart disease, with coronary artery disease and chronic alcohol abuse as contributing factors, and his widow's lawsuit alleging deliberate indifference to his medical needs was dismissed by a federal judge, though some state-law claims could be refiled.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (neglect alleged). The state medical examiner attributed his death to hypertensive heart disease, with coronary artery disease and chronic ethanol abuse as contributing factors, and his widow's lawsuit alleged jail staff were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs during withdrawal, claims a federal judge dismissed.
Reported by: state medical examiner.