Zareef M. Fawaz
Zareef M. Fawaz, 49, of St. Louis, died on May 31, 2024, while held at the Madison County Jail in Illinois. His family, including his sister LaToya Simmons, says jail officers did not give him the blood thinners he was prescribed daily, despite his repeated pleas to her in phone calls, and that a blood clot caused his death. The family has submitted a notice of intent to file a wrongful death lawsuit and held a news conference on what would have been his 50th birthday. The Madison County Sheriff's Office reported the death as natural causes, and a cellmate's account in the state report says he was lying on the floor and believed to be having a seizure before a nurse and EMS were contacted.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Madison County Sheriff's Office reported natural causes, but Fawaz's family alleges jail officers withheld the daily blood thinners he was prescribed despite his repeated pleas, and says he died of a blood clot.
Reported by: Madison County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); Fawaz's family (family or their lawyers).