Man, 42, dies at Snohomish County Jail, in second death in a week

Published 11:30 am Wednesday, September 13, 2023

EVERETT — A second man in a week died Monday at the Snohomish County Jail, officials said.

Around 9:20 p.m., custody officers found an inmate, 42, unresponsive in his cell in the “observation housing unit” of the downtown Everett jail, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday. Staff tried to resuscitate the man, but they were unsuccessful.

Authorities gave no indication of the circumstances leading to the man’s death.

The man had been booked into jail three days earlier for investigation of first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and residential burglary.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the deceased, as well as determine the cause and manner of death.

The sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit will investigate the death, while the jail will conduct a clinical investigation, or what the sheriff’s office calls a morbidity review.

This is the latest in a string of safety incidents at the jail in the past year.

On Sept. 7, a man, 38, died in his cell while on medical detox watch. Mukilteo police had booked him into jail the day before on two warrants.

In July, authorities found fentanyl powder in an inmate’s rectum after two fellow inmates overdosed.

In May, seven inmates were taken to the hospital after suffering non-fatal overdoses. An Arlington man was accused of smuggling the drugs in.

And last December, Sean Hanchett, of Edmonds, died of “complications of chronic fentanyl and methamphetamine use,” according to a sheriff’s office review. The inquiry found jail officials were not at fault in Hanchett’s death.

Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.