Ta’Neasha Chappell
Ta'Neasha Chappell, 23, of Louisville, Kentucky, was a mother whose family describes her as vibrant, funny and loving, devoted to her young daughter Nevaeh and someone who cared for people. She was held at the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown, Indiana, in July 2021, and according to jail recordings released by her family's attorney, she repeatedly said she was vomiting blood and asked for medical help over many hours before she was taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, where she died on July 16. The autopsy found probable toxicity from an unknown substance and listed the manner of death as undetermined, and the prosecutor and Indiana State Police brought no charges and found no evidence of poisoning by staff or other people held there. Her family and attorney dispute those findings, alleging neglect and poisoning, and have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit that remains pending.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The autopsy listed probable toxicity from an unknown substance with manner undetermined; her family and attorneys say jail staff ignored her repeated pleas for help while she vomited blood and that she was poisoned, and they have filed a civil rights lawsuit contesting the official account.
Reported by: Jackson County Coroner / forensic pathologist autopsy (medical examiner or coroner); Jackson County Prosecutor's office (outside investigators); Indiana State Police (outside investigators); Ta'Neasha Chappell's family and attorneys (Sam Aguiar), through their federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers); other people held at the jail, who told police she had been poisoned (witnesses).
Lawsuit: Her family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over her care, seeking $30 million, and the case is still pending.
News reports (20)
- News report
- ISP: Louisville woman dies while in custody at Jackson County Jail
- Indiana State Police Investigating Death of Black Woman in Custody
- Family of Louisville woman who died in Indiana jail hires Breonna Taylor's legal team
- Attorney: Jackson County Jail Inmate Poisoned
- Family of Louisville woman who died in southern Indiana jail files lawsuit
- Jackson County Sheriff’s Office sued over jail death
- Family of Ta’Neasha Chappell upset prosecution not moving forward in death investigation
- Inmate’s cause of death ruled ‘undetermined,’ sheriff’s department cleared of wrongdoing
- Chappell's sister vows to keep fighting after Jackson County prosecutor's report released
- New surveillance video from Jackson County Jail shows hours before Ta’Neasha Chappell’s death
- New jail recordings confirm Ta’Neasha Chappell told officers she was vomiting blood hours before her death
- Jail audio depicts Chappell pleading for help for hours before her death
- Family members, activists appeal to Jackson County commissioners in Ta'Neasha Chappell case
- A year after her death, Ta'Neasha Chappell's family is still looking for answers
- A Young Mom Was Arrested for Theft — and Died Mysteriously in Jail
- She told jail employees that she was 'throwing up blood.' They ignored her. The next day, she was dead.
- Jackson County Jail: Wrongdoing denied in inmate death
- Family seeks to reject $5.5 million settlement in Jackson County Jail inmate death case
- How Neglect and Oversight Let Ta'Neasha Chappell Die