Uniece Fennell
Uniece Glenae Fennell was 17 when she died at the Durham County Detention Center in Durham, North Carolina, on March 23, 2017. While she was held there, she learned that her twin brother had been killed, and her mother, Julia Graves, said losing her child was the most difficult thing she had ever experienced. The Durham County Sheriff's Office said preliminary evidence indicated she died by suicide after she was found hanged in her cell, and a state investigation found that jail officers did not check on her as required and did not report that she had said she might harm herself. Her family's lawsuit alleged the jail failed to provide mental health care, housed her with adults and did not remove suicide hazards; it settled for $650,000 along with changes to how the jail holds young people, pending federal court approval.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (neglect alleged). The Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide, and a state investigation found jail officers did not do the required checks on her, which her mother's lawsuit also alleged.
Reported by: Durham County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held her); Office of the Medical Examiner (medical examiner or coroner); North Carolina DHHS Division of Health Service Regulation (outside investigators); Julia Graves, her mother, through the lawsuit's attorneys (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued Durham County and reached a $650,000 settlement, which was pending federal court approval at the time of reporting.
Sources (7)
- Teen charged in Durham murder found dead inside jail cell
- Report: Protocol not followed before Durham jail suicide
- Forsyth approves contract with Correct Care despite inmate deaths
- Inmate Deaths in Jail, 2015-17
- Uniece Fennell: Family of teen who committed suicide at Durham County jail to get $650,000 in settlement
- Settlement would prompt policy change at Durham jail after teen's death
- Durham+jail+settles+suit+over+teen%E2%80%99s+suicide+for+%24650K