Six individuals, comprised of both current and former correctional officers as well as a nurse, are facing federal civil rights charges for their alleged indifference to the serious medical needs of a pretrial detainee, resulting in her death. As disclosed in an indictment unsealed, former Garvin County Jail (GCJ) Sergeant Jennifer Baxter, former GCJ Deputies Alesha Danielle Ingram and Vincent Matthews, along with former GCJ Nurse Lynnsee Noel have been accused of failing to protect the detainee from substantial physical harm, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The Department of Justice asserts that the accused displayed deliberate indifference to detainee K.T.'s welfare, which led to K.T. sustaining bodily harm. In what appears to be a grave misuse of their positions, the indictment details how this neglect continued over the course of two days in August 2023. It eventually culminated in the death of K.T., who had been held at the facility in Oklahoma according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Add to the list Baxter, Ingram, Matthews, Noel are current GCJ Sergeant Melissa Melton and GCJ Deputy Paula Kelley, who are also implicated in being deliberately indifferent to K.T.’s medical needs. This alleged failure, say the authorities, is tantamount to willful denial of necessary care. Potential sentences range up to life in prison, though a sentence will be determined by a federal judge who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors, should convictions be secured, as obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The gravity of the indictment is underscored by statements from officials. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Robert Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, joined by Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, announced the charges and investigation. The case falls under the scrutiny of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, with Senior Litigation Counsel Julia Barry, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaleigh Blackwell for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Trial Attorneys Laura Gilson and Trevor Kempner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division leading the prosecution efforts, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
