An autopsy released this week concludes that a 55-year-old man found unresponsive in a holding cell at San Diego Central Jail last October died from acute peritonitis linked to chronic pancreatitis after a ruptured pancreatic pseudocyst. The San Diego County Medical Examiner also cited hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and alcohol use disorder as contributing conditions, and ruled the manner of death natural.
The man, identified as Eugene Rodman Smith, had been booked into the facility on Sept. 29, 2025, on suspicion of public intoxication. He was pronounced dead at a hospital in the early morning hours of Oct. 2, 2025.
Medical Examiner’s Findings Made Public
The final autopsy report, first detailed by FOX 5 San Diego, attributes Smith’s immediate cause of death to acute peritonitis resulting from chronic pancreatitis complicated by a ruptured pancreatic pseudocyst. The report lists underlying cardiovascular disease and alcohol use disorder as contributing factors, painting a medically complex picture behind what from the outside may have looked like a sudden collapse.
While the autopsy closes the loop on how Smith died, it does not answer every question about what happened in the hours before he was found, and it does not end the separate law-enforcement review into the circumstances of his detention.
How Deputies And Medics Responded
According to a news release from the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, deputies doing routine rounds on Oct. 1, 2025, discovered Smith unresponsive in a single-occupancy holding cell. They called 9-1-1 and requested immediate assistance from the jail’s medical staff.
Paramedics and San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel continued life-saving efforts and took Smith to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 1:15 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2025. The sheriff’s office stated that Smith had been in custody since Sept. 29 and that a family liaison officer was assigned to work with his relatives, in keeping with the department’s standard protocol after an in-custody death.
County Scrutiny Continues
Smith’s death comes as San Diego County’s jail system remains under a long-running microscope. A 2022 audit by the California State Auditor found that San Diego had a higher in-custody death rate than comparable counties and recommended a slate of reforms.
Those findings have been repeatedly highlighted by local reporters and watchdogs who continue to press for stronger medical care and oversight in county detention facilities, as reported by KPBS. County officials have publicly committed to modernization efforts and procedural changes, but advocates maintain they are still waiting to see clear, measurable improvements behind jail walls.
Investigation And Next Steps
The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit responded to the Oct. 1 incident and opened an investigation, and the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) was notified, consistent with protocol, according to the sheriff’s office. With the medical examiner ruling Smith’s death natural, no criminal charges have been announced.
Any internal administrative reviews or potential civil actions would proceed separately from the autopsy’s medical conclusions. As of publication, neither the sheriff’s department nor the Medical Examiner’s Office had gone beyond their existing public statements on the case, leaving the official documents to do most of the talking.
