Snohomish County Jail sees its sixth death of an inmate since September

Another inmate has died at the Snohomish County Jail.

Authorities found a 43-year-old woman unresponsive in her one-person cell. According to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office, jail staff began lifesaving measures but she died inside her cell.

The woman was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, carrying a firearm without a permit, and possession of contraband.

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This is the sixth death of an inmate in the past year.

Of the six, three were inside the jail’s medical detox unit. The facility is meant to monitor inmates withdrawing from opiates, benzodiazepines or alcohol. Medical detox is big enough to house 64 people. A nurse checks on inmates every four to eight hours.

The 43-year-old was not in medical detox.

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In May, 51-year-old Terry Crusha died in the medical detox unit. The case of the death is still under investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The medical examiner’s office is investigating the death of the 43-year-old as well. Her identity has not been released.

In the meantime, Snohomish County Sheriff Susanna Johnson has announced measures to prevent further inmate deaths. According to the Everett Herald, these include installing cameras in the medical detox cells, deploying a K-9 unit to detect drugs, and implementing technology to monitor inmates’ vital signs in the detox center.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X and email him here.