TYLER, Texas — The family of a Smith County inmate who killed himself inside a cell has filed a lawsuit claiming the staff did not provide proper care and protections.
Nathan Lee Johns, 28, was found dead Feb. 9, 2023, inside a jail cell by an officer. He had a cord around his neck, according to the Smith County Sheriff's Office.
On Wednesday, Johns' mother, Stacy Vernier, filed a federal lawsuit claiming that Smith County Jail staff and Turn Key Health, the healthcare provider for the jail, for not keeping her son, who was on suicide watch, safe from any dangers, such as the phone cord that was left outside of his cell.
The lawsuit states that Johns was able to "easily pull the phone's lengthy electrical or data cord" and used it to kill himself in the cell. The document notes that Johns was a patient at a hospital for mental health issues before he was arrested and he had attempted suicide before being jailed.
According to family members, when they picked up a bag of mental health medications that Johns was supposed to be taking, the bag was still stapled shut. They say Johns was not given any mental health medications while he was in the county jail.
The lawsuit claims that Smith County or Turn Key Health or both failed to provide emergency or necessary medical care, monitor inmates and control or address materials available to inmates with self-harm tendencies.
Vernier is not requesting a specific amount of money, but she is seeking compensation for mental anguish and emotional distress caused by Johns' death. She wants to bring this case before a jury for a trial.
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