GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — A nurse reportedly told investigators that they didn't believe symptoms were severe enough for outside treatment for a Clay County inmate who died in jail, according to a report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Michelle Bewley was booked into the Clay County Jail on March 4 on a shoplifting charge. She died in her cell the next day.
The Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her cause of death was natural due to hypertensive heart disease. The opiate withdrawal was also a contributing factor, according to the medical examiner.
The FDLE report states Bewley was experiencing symptoms of drug withdrawal the morning before she died. She told the jail's staff she had not taken heroin in two weeks but was taking medication to get off the drug.
Nurses gave Bewley medications for withdrawal, noting she appeared to be “very skinny and highly anxious” while being evaluated, according to the report. She also requested a nurse to give her additional medicine. The exact type of medicine Bewley was taking was redacted from the report.
The report says a nurse considered sending Bewley to the hospital but did not think her symptoms were severe enough.
“They were like pain screams,” Brittany Wink told First Coast News in March. Wink was in a cell near Bewley. Wink said she thought Bewley was dying.
Medical personnel said Bewley was asleep at around 5 p.m. She was found unresponsive three hours later.
We reached out to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for additional comments from the jail staff and we’re waiting for a response.
According to the agency, there were no cited deficiencies in the report. The jail was cleared of any wrongdoing but said in a statement that they are changing policies to address inmates’ medical needs.
We also reached out to the Bewley family’s attorney about the case. We’re still waiting to hear from them.