Sarah Lucas Riedel
Sarah Lucas Riedel died on February 18, 2026, at Regional One Hospital in Memphis, after being held at the Shelby County jail while awaiting an arraignment. Her family told a podcast host that she was very sick, citing severe diabetes and stage 4 lung cancer, and that she was taken to the hospital by ambulance on Saturday. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office confirmed her death and did not state a cause or manner of death. Her death also ended a prosecution the office had planned to pursue in connection with a 2007 Cordova case that a podcast had revived.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness. Podcast host Stephanie Tinsley, citing Riedel's family, says she died in poor health, with severe diabetes and Stage 4 lung cancer.
Reported by: Riedel's family, as cited by podcast host Stephanie Tinsley (family or their lawyers).