An outside investigation cleared the Tarrant County Jail of criminal wrongdoing in the death of Kimberly Phillips — but advocates say her death was completely preventable with proper care.
Phillips, 56, died of malnutrition and dehydration on Feb. 18, after three weeks in jail. Phillips told jail staff she couldn’t eat the food she was given, and jailers noted she wasn’t eating, according to medical records her daughter shared with KERA News. By the time she was sent to the hospital on Feb. 15, her kidneys were failing.
The Denton County Sheriff’s Office conducted an outside investigation into Phillips’ death — which is required by the state — and KERA obtained the investigation report through an open records request. The investigation determined jail staff did not break any criminal laws or violate any relevant policies in caring for Phillips…