A tragic death in custody has led to a lawsuit against a county sheriff's office and two of its officers. On July 10, 2024, Keith McAlexander filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Kalissa Crawford, and Officer Jason Hensley.
The case revolves around the death of Romy McAlexander, who died while in custody at the Marion County Jail on July 10, 2022. Romy was only 24 years old at the time of her death. According to the complaint filed by Keith McAlexander, as Independent Administrator of Romy's estate, she had been booked into custody at St. Clair County Jail on July 2, 2022, after being arrested on outstanding warrants. She was transferred to Marion County Jail on July 5, 2022. At the time of her booking into both facilities, it was noted that she was detoxing from fentanyl and had complained of shortness of breath and chest pain.
The lawsuit alleges that despite knowing about Romy's medical condition and her need for regular monitoring due to her withdrawal symptoms, the defendants failed to perform adequate wellness checks as mandated by jail policies. Specifically, it is claimed that Officers Crawford and Hensley did not check on Romy’s well-being for approximately 48 hours before her death. The complaint details how Romy was found naked and visibly unwell in her cell but received no immediate medical attention from the officers responsible for her care.
On the morning of July 10, 2022, at around 6:22 a.m., breakfast was delivered to Romy without any wellness check being performed. Later at approximately 7:16 a.m., Officer Hensley observed Romy collapse naked in her cell but failed to provide timely assistance. It wasn't until about an hour later that resuscitation efforts were initiated but ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Keith McAlexander is seeking judgment against the defendants for their alleged deliberate indifference and failure to protect Romy's constitutional rights under federal law (42 U.S.C. §1983). The plaintiff is asking for actual damages exceeding $75,000 along with costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. The complaint also seeks punitive damages against Officers Crawford and Hensley individually for their willful neglect.
The case is being handled by attorneys Ryan J. Mahoney and Leigh Perica from Mahoney Law Firm LLC. The presiding judge has yet to be named in Case No. 3:24-cv-1695.