ST. LOUIS -- A woman and two children are suing after a father dies by suicide while in jail.
Maud Smith, individually, and as "next friend' to I.S. and E.S., and as a beneficiary to the wrongful death of Adrian Smith, filed a federal complaint on June 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against Reynolds County, Tom Stout, Samuel Huff, Steve Stoops, Cody Newman, Donald Horn and John and Jane Does 1-10 for wrongful death and violation of civil rights.
According to the complaint, Adrian had a history of diagnosed serous mental illness and threats of suicide. While in the Reynolds County Jail, Smith made multiple mentions and threats of wanting to take his own life, at one point even asking for the police to shoot him five weeks prior to his suicide.
Maud Smith alleges that the Reynolds County Jail, and those employed by and for the jail, denied Smith adequate and proper treatment for a known serious diagnosed medical psychiatric condition which led to Smith's horrible and preventable death.
Maud Smith, and the two children, seek punitive damages and trial by jury. Maud Smith is represented by Stephen E. Walsh of Walsh and Walsh LLC.
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri Southeastern Division case number 1:21-cv-00095-SNLJ