Residents and community members are demanding accountability from Tarrant County commissioners and the sheriff's office over last month's county jail deaths.
More than 60 people gathered outside the Tarrant County Jail Tuesday morning before the commissioners court meeting, asking for answers on what happened in the events leading up to the most recent jail deaths.
That included Cassandra Johnson, whose son, Trelynn Wormley, died in 2022 of a fentanyl overdose at Tarrant County Jail after a commissary worker smuggled in the drugs that killed him.
"It's been four years," Johnson said. "Losing Trelynn, I have lived with unanswered questions and constantly hearing about death after death."
Multiple independent departments conduct their own investigations of in-custody deaths, Robbie Hoy, a spokesperson for the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, told KERA News in an email.
Those groups include jail staff, the sheriff's office Criminal Investigations Division, an outside law‑enforcement agency, JPS medical professionals, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
"As we have consistently stated, people come into jail already sick, struggling with addiction, or dealing with long‑term untreated medical conditions," Hoy said. "By the time they come into our care, many are diagnosed with illnesses that are already in advanced stages."
Dozens of people also spoke out during public comment at Tuesday's commissioners court meeting for nearly an hour, asking commissioners to look into jail conditions and whether procedures are matching up mental health needs.
Residents like Sabrina Ball told commissioners the county needs to be held responsible when it comes to jail deaths, pointing to previous settlements from lawsuits from past deaths.
"Families pay with their loved ones," Ball told commissioners. "Taxpayers pay with their wallets, and no one on this side of the court seems willing to pay with accountability."
Comments from the public is the only discussion allowed regarding jail deaths during commissioners court meetings. Commissioners are no longer allowed to request briefings on jail deaths from the sheriff's office.
One resident was removed after speaking past his allotted two minutes during public comment. A second person was removed immediately after from the crowd for clapping.
'Families need closure'
Four men died within 11 days while in custody at the county jail in June. James Johnson died June 15 and Carl McCray died June 16 after medical emergencies, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office.
Mack Greer, died June 18 at John Peter Smith Hospital after he suffered internal bleeding in his brain, his parents told KERA News.
Greer's death initially wasn't considered a jail death after he was released from jail custody June 17 at 10 a.m., court records show. He was already declared brain dead at the hospital by that point, his mother told KERA News.
Ricky Armstrong, Executive Director of Texas Commission on Jail Standards, told KERA News in an email that Greer's death is now being investigated as an in-custody death by Haltom City Police Department.
Victor Runnels died June 26 after a medical emergency, his family told reporters June 30. Court records show Runnels was also released from jail custody less than 30 minutes after he was pronounced dead, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's website. His death will not be investigated, as it doesn't match the criteria of an in-custody death, the sheriff's office previously said.
The manner and causes of death for all four men are pending.
A main concern brought up during Tuesday's protest and meeting is the lack of details offered to families whose loved ones died in jail custody. Greer and Runnels' families told media they were given little information from the jail and sheriff's office about what happened to leading up to their deaths.
Antione Williams, the uncle of Carl McCray, told KERA News in an interview Tuesday his family is still seeking answers about what happened to McCray when he began having a medical emergency in his cell.
"I know he's looking down and would have been proud to know that someone from the family is still screaming his name and in reprimand form," Williams said. "Families need closure in these moments, so if there is something that transpired at the jail, it should be disclosed to the family, just so that they can have peace and closure and knowing what happened."
There's been five deaths this year and nearly 80 deaths at Tarrant County Jail in the past nine years since Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office. He's faced scrutiny throughout the years over jail deaths, a message that was reiterated by residents at Tuesday's meeting.
Waybourn emphasized during March's meeting jail death numbers have decreased over the years since 2020.
But people continue to raise questions about whether current efforts, if any, will keep those numbers down — and if there's effective treatment for individuals in custody experiencing mental illnesses or intellectual disabilities.
Out of 78 jail deaths since 2017, 24 showed mental health issues and 12 were unknown, according to reports sent to the Texas Attorney General. County jails are required to send custodial death reports to the AG within 30 days of the person’s death.
"Perhaps if we spent more money funds on health care, especially mental health care, and housing especially for the homeless, we wouldn't need to spend so much on law enforcement and the resulting jail deaths," resident Linda Hanratty told commissioners.
This story has been updated to include a statement from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office.
Penelope Rivera is KERA's Tarrant County Accountability Reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope at privera@kera.org
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