Family of inmate who died while in custody ask for answers after manner of death ruled as homicide

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The death of an inmate who died behind bars at the Harris County Jail in March has been ruled a homicide by the medical examiner's office.

In March, ABC13 spoke to the mother of Evan Lee, 31, who was desperate to find out what happened to her son who died while in custody for an aggravated assault charge.

RELATED: 13 Investigates: Decade-high inmate deaths just one concern at Harris Co. jail

Jacilet Griffin said she learned from a doctor that her son was in the hospital on life support.

A spokesperson with the Harris County Sheriff's Office said an advocate called Lee's parents, which is something Griffin said she never received.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Lee complained of abdominal pain and went to the clinic and was taken to Ben Taub Hospital. He died on March 27.

The sheriff's office also said he was involved in a fight with another inmate on March 11, one week before he was hospitalized.

However, a spokesperson said he was checked by medical staff and cleared.

Nearly nine months later, Griffin said she learned her son's manner of death, but is still desperate for answers as to what happened and where the supervision was.

The Texas Rangers are still investigating, according to HSCO.

SEE HERE: Family of Harris County Jail inmate hospitalized doesn't believe officers' story after incident

The family has been working with civil rights lawyer Randall Kallinen, who is expected to hold a press conference on Monday Dec. 19, regarding Lee's death and the ongoing problems surrounding the Harris County Jail.

SEE ALSO: Harris Co. inmates wait too long to get into jail, fix costs you millions

"The Harris County jail is overcrowded and understaffed," Kallinen said. "We need drastic changes at the Harris County jail."

A 13 Investigates report last month found 22 Harris County Jail inmates, including one who was outsourced to a jail in Louisiana, died in 2022, as of Nov. 15.

Another three individuals, who never set foot in the jail, died in the sheriff's office's custody.

At least nine of the inmates who died were described as being "unresponsive" when they were found, according to custodial death reports that the sheriff's office submitted to the state.

There's no detail in those cases on how the inmate got that way or if mandatory once-an-hour checks were being made.

The jail said most deaths are due to "natural causes."

Even though there are more jail deaths in 2022 than in previous years in Harris County, the jail population is also the highest, and the sheriff's office says the death rate is below the national average.

For updates on this story, follow Brooke Taylor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.