LYNNWOOD—A 48-year-old inmate at the Lynnwood Community Justice Center (CJC) was found dead in her cell Sunday, the second in-custody death the Lynnwood Jail has seen in the last five years.
The woman was taken into custody on October 15 for a DUI and theft related offenses. On Sunday, October 18, just before 3 p.m., an officer found her unresponsive in her cell while conducting a check in the female housing unit of the facility, the Lynnwood Police Department said.
Staff attempted life-saving measures until South Snohomish County Fire took over, but efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death. The individual’s identity, and other details, will be released by the medical examiner at a later date.
As part of the review process for all jail-related deaths, the Snohomish County SMART Team was consulted but ultimately declined as it did not meet state mandated criteria.
The Snohomish County Major Crimes Unit responded to conduct an independent investigation.
Jails and prisons in Washington also are required to review all unexpected in-custody fatalities and publish a report on the findings within 120 days of the death. (See RCW 70.48.510). These reports are published online by Washington’s Department of Health.
This in-custody death is the second to occur at a Lynnwood jail since Tirhas Tesfatsion’s death in 2021.
Just four months ago Lynnwood cut the ribbon on a new Crises Facility situated next to the CJC as a response to Testfatsion’s in-custody suicide. At that ceremony Lynnwod Police Chief Cole Langdon said new protocols were in place that he pledged that no similar in-custody deaths would occur at a Lynnwood facility under his watch.
This is a developing story. Please check back soon for updates.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
