Shaylene Graves
Shaylene Graves was a 26-year-old mother, described by her mother as caring, uplifting and passionate, who dreamed of playing professional basketball and planned to start a nonprofit to support women leaving prison. She died in June 2016 in a two-person cell at the California Institution for Women in Chino. Prison officials first told her family she had killed herself, but the coroner's autopsy found her death was a homicide. Her family's wrongful death lawsuit against the state alleged that staff ignored her repeated requests for a cell change despite threats from her cellmate, and the case ended in a $3.5 million settlement.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). Prison officials first told her family she had killed herself, the coroner's autopsy found a homicide, and her family's lawsuit says staff ignored her repeated requests for a cell change despite threats from her cellmate.
Reported by: California Institution for Women prison officials (the agency that held her); coroner's autopsy (medical examiner or coroner); her family's wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued the state of California in a wrongful death lawsuit and settled for $3.5 million.