Family of inmate who died of drug overdose in Georgetown County Jail files lawsuit

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – The family of an inmate who died of a drug overdose at the Georgetown County Detention Center is now suing the sheriff’s office and the county.

Last week, the Shelby family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, naming Georgetown County, the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office and the Georgetown County Detention Center as defendants.

Ashby died on March 19 after the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office disclosed that she had received drugs from Kelly Lambert, another inmate.

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The sheriff's office said Lambert was allowed to serve her sentence for a traffic violation on weekends and that the drugs were brought to the detention center during those times.

The lawsuit alleges that on March 15, at approximately 8:45 p.m., a correctional officer was notified that Ashby needed to be examined because she did not look well.

According to the documents, the officer observed that Ashby had turned a purple complexion and appeared to be in distress, but no assistance was rendered to him and the officer left the cell.

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The lawsuit alleges that the officer told a nurse that Ashby needed to be examined, but the nurse ordered another officer to keep an eye on her.

Court records show that the second officer found Ashby unconscious on the floor of the cell at 9:09 p.m. and immediately called for help.

The nurse said Ashby had no pulse, and she was given Narcan and CPR before emergency medical services arrived and took Ashby to the hospital, where she later died, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that the detention center and correctional officers failed to adequately train their staff to conduct proper searches and security checks, including searching individuals who entered the detention center during the intake process.

“Therefore, plaintiff further knows and believes that these deliberate omissions allowed contraband (including illegal drugs) to enter and enter the detention center without hindrance and into the hands of inmates,” the lawsuit states.

The documents also show that prison officers are required to conduct a security check on each inmate at least every 30 minutes, but this is not usually done.

The lawsuit accuses the defendants of gross negligence and negligent homicide.

The family is demanding a jury trial and a jury decision on the amount of compensation the family should receive.

The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office said it does not comment on pending litigation.

We have asked Georgetown County for comment on the lawsuit and are awaiting a response.

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