Veronique Henry
Veronique Henry, 32, left three children behind when she died at York County Prison in Pennsylvania in September 2016. She was found unresponsive in her cell on the morning of Thursday, September 15, with bed sheets around her neck, and the York County coroner's office ruled her death a suicide. Her estate's federal wrongful death lawsuit says staff knew she was at risk of suicide, should have placed her on suicide watch and had her promptly evaluated by a psychiatrist, and that the jail lacked adequate suicide-risk screening. The case later settled, with PrimeCare Medical, the prison's health care provider, paying $200,000 and the county paying $5,000.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The York County coroner ruled her death a suicide by hanging, while her estate's federal wrongful death lawsuit says staff knew she was a suicide risk, did not place her on suicide watch or promptly have her evaluated by a psychiatrist, and that the jail lacked adequate suicide-risk screening; the case settled with the terms sealed.
Reported by: York County Coroner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); York County Coroner Pam Gay's office (medical examiner or coroner); Pennsylvania State Police (outside investigators); Henry's estate, in a federal wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers); York Daily Record (reporters).
Lawsuit: Her estate sued York County, prison officials and PrimeCare Medical in federal court over her death at York County Prison, and PrimeCare paid a $200,000 settlement while York County paid $5,000 to settle the suit.
Sources (7)
- Murder suspect dies in prison of suicide
- Coroner: Double homicide defendant's prison death a suicide
- Inmate death ruled suicide at York County Prison, coroner reports
- Federal suit alleges "deliberate indifference" to suicidal inmates at York County Prison
- Sealed deal ends lawsuit over prison suicide of central Pa. woman charged in double murder
- York County pays $5,000 to settle federal lawsuit over suicide of woman in custody
- Prison health care contractor paid $200,000 to settle wrongful death suit