Report reveals cause of Everett man’s death in Snohomish County Jail

EVERETT — An inmate in the Snohomish County Jail suffered cardiac arrest after a seizure, leading to his death in the jail in May, a county inquiry has found.

Since his death on May 20, officials hadn’t confirmed the cause of Terry Crusha’s death in the jail.

Under state law, authorities must conduct an investigation into unexpected jail deaths with an analysis of the root cause and recommendations to prevent them from happening in the future. The findings must be submitted to the state Department of Health within 120 days.

On the morning of May 17, Crusha, 51, was booked into the downtown Everett jail for investigation of violating a protection order.

A strip search found he had drug paraphernalia on him when he was booked. He also had methamphetamine, amphetamine, fentanyl and MDMA in his system, according to the county’s review. Because of this, he was placed in medical detox in the jail.

At 2:50 p.m. May 20, a corrections deputy heard a noise come from Crusha’s cell. Crusha told the deputy he’d fallen, according to the report. The deputy called for the jail’s medical staff to evaluate him.

At 2:57 p.m., after speaking to Crusha, a nurse told the deputy to call a medical emergency, the report states. Medical staff called 911 to get paramedics to the jail.

At 3:07 p.m., Everett Fire Department personnel arrived. As firefighters and paramedics evaluated Crusha, he suddenly became unresponsive. Firefighters began life-saving measures and continued for over half an hour before pronouncing Crusha deceased. The Snohomish County sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit responded to investigate Crusha’s death.

An autopsy found Crusha, of Everett, died of “post-seizure cardiac arrest,” according to the review. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office reported Crusha had head trauma that led to epilepsy and a brain injury.

The inquiry determined jail staff acted within policy and in a timely manner. The report made no recommendations on how to improve jail conditions based on Crusha’s death. Recommendations stemming from past deaths have included requiring medical waivers when inmates refuse treatment and adding cameras inside and outside of the jail’s observation unit.

The report, published Oct. 18, came 151 days after Crusha’s death. The review was allowed to come in past the 120-day threshold due to delays in the autopsy process.

Crusha’s death was one in a string at the county lockup. Six have died in the jail since September 2023. Of those six, three were within the medical detox unit.

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