Stephanie Anderson
Stephanie Anderson, 29, a mother of three from southwest Denver whom friends remember as always making people laugh, died at the Boulder County jail in May 2016. Friends and family said she had a heart condition and asked for medical help repeatedly before she died, and her family said deputies ignored those requests; the sheriff's office said she had refused treatment, which her family disputes. A later sheriff's investigation could not confirm that a request for help was disregarded, but found that medical staff did not re-evaluate her after an emergency room transport and that deputies should have checked on her more often given suicidal statements she had made. The coroner's autopsy attributed the death to hypertensive cardiovascular disease and ruled it natural, and an internal review of those lapses was ongoing at the time of reporting.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Boulder County Coroner ruled the death natural, citing an existing heart condition; a friend says deputies ignored her repeated requests for medical attention, and the sheriff's investigation found deputies should have checked on her more often given suicidal statements she made.
Reported by: Boulder County Coroner (medical examiner or coroner).