2 families sue MDC following death of inmates
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – More inmates have died at the Metropolitan Detention Center in recent years, and it’s part of the reason behind a shake-up at the jai with its current medical provider.
Wrongful death lawsuits were filed for the families of two inmates who died inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in 2022.
Brian Korth died inside the jail in March 2022. A wrongful death lawsuit filed on Feb. 7 claims Korth was arrested on a warrant out of California on March 2. Four days later he died.
According to the lawsuit, Korth was suffering from fentanyl withdrawals. The lawsuit says suicidality is a common well-known side effect of fentanyl withdrawal.
According to the lawsuit, jail staff, and medical staff failed to do required welfare checks, allowing Korth to hang himself. His death went unnoticed for four hours.
April Trujillo died inside the Bernalillo County jail last November.
According the wrongful death lawsuit, Trujillo was arrested and put in a detox pod in the jail on Nov. 27. Three days later she was dead.
According to the lawsuit, Trujillo had four medical emergencies in a span of about 12 hours from Nov. 29 into Nov. 30. It describes her as having seizures, and during the last episode, she foamed at the mouth and vomited.
The lawsuit accuses corrections officers and medical staff of not providing proper care despite Trujillo being in obvious distress. It claims staff expressed she deserved what was happening because of her addiction.
Both lawsuits place blame squarely on jail staff, and the medical provider Corizon – also known as YesCare. They seek an unspecified amount in monetary damages.
KOB 4 reached out to Bernalillo County for a statement about these lawsuits and a spokesperson said:
“The safety and welfare of MDC inmates remain a top priority. Bernalillo County took decisive action last month, canceling the Corizon/YesCare medical contract, and soon after, announcing plans to partner with UNM Hospital for medical and behavioral health services at MDC beginning in July.”