No criminal charges will be filed in the death of a Sebastian County jail inmate, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
The state Crime Laboratory ruled Elizabeth Marie Beesley's July 6 death an accident, according to a news release from Sebastian County Prosecutor Daniel Shue.
Beesley, 44, was brought to the jail July 1 because of an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court. Shue said she was "unusually animated" during transport but remained coherent and responsive.
A few minutes into booking, she became more agitated, Shue said, and she then got down on the floor. Fort Smith EMS was called and began treating her. Shue said she was taken to Baptist Health and remained in critical condition until July 6 when she was pronounced brain dead.
An autopsy performed July 10 found Beesley's blood positive for methamphetamine, according to the prosecutor. The Crime Lab identified her cause of death as brain damage due to heart disease complicated by methamphetamine use.
State Desk on 08/22/2019