Lawsuit filed over inmate’s death at Will County jail

The widow of a man who died by suicide at the Will County jail is suing the Will County Sheriff’s Office and the jail’s medical provider over his death.

The lawsuit was filed March 10, by Katie Vaughan, widow of Robert Vaughan, 51, who died in March 14, 2022, in what sheriff’s office said at the time was an apparent suicide.

Vaughan’s death was investigated by the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force. Ken Kroll, task force spokesman, said the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office told the task force that no charges would be filed in reference to their investigation.

Katie Vaughan’s lawsuit alleged the sheriff’s office failed to monitor Robert Vaughan, who reported suicidal ideation and post-traumatic stress disorder, while he was in his jail cell, failed to provide him safe conditions at the jail and failed to intervene when he died by suicide. Her lawsuit also alleged the sheriff’s office denied him mental health treatment.

Katie Vaughan’s lawsuit further alleged Wellpath, the medical provider for the jail, did not perform a medical and mental assessment of Robert Vaughan and failed to have him undergo a complete assessment of those issues before he was placed in a cell.

Will County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said it will not comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit alleged Frankfort police officers responded to Robert Vaughan’s residence on March 4, 2022, when he made statements of self-harm and suicidal threats.

On March 13, 2022, he was arrested after he was accused of domestic violence and informed police that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, the lawsuit claimed.

The lawsuit said Robert Vaughan was “very emotional, hostile and crying when speaking with Frankfort officers.”

At 10:42 p.m. on the same day, Robert Vaughan was taken to the Will County jail, the lawsuit alleged.

A nurse at the jail failed to perform an intake assessment of Robert Vaughan before he was placed in a cell, which had the lights off, the lawsuit alleged. Correctional officers looked into the cell but it was difficult to see because the lights were out, the lawsuit alleged.

At 11:48 p.m., a correctional officer looked into a window of the cell, walked away, immediately returned, looked in the window again and called for an assistant, the lawsuit said.

The correctional officer saw Robert Vaughan had used the bedsheets in his cell to hang himself and called for assistance, the lawsuit said.

Robert Vaughan was taken to Ascension Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet where he was pronounced dead at 1:32 a.m. on March 14, 2022, the lawsuit said.