The estate of a man who died by suicide in the Aiken County detention center in 2020 has reached a settlement with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.
Stuart Wright, who served as individual and personal representative of the estate of Skyler Wright, agreed to a $150,000 settlement from the Aiken Sheriff’s Office in the death of his son..
Skyler Wright died by suicide at the Aiken County detention center after he was found unresponsive in his cell Oct. 3, 2020 by a detention center deputy who was conducting a routine check, media reported.
The detention center and medical staff performed CPR until Aiken EMS arrived on the scene, it was reported.
Skyler Wright was arrested and charged with murder in 2014 in the stabbing death of Brennan M. Tucker, 24, of Jackson.
Judge Courtney Clyburn Pope with the Second Judicial Circuit Court approved the settlement June 30.
The sheriff’s office was named as a defendant in the case and agreed to the settlement, which includes $60,000 paid to White Davis and White Law Firm, P.A. Littlejohn LLC and $3,969.26 in costs and expenses.
The victim’s father, Stuart Wright, filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office on April 15, 2021 in the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Common pleas.
The sheriff’s office denied liability in Skyler Wright’s death. Because a settlement was reached, the plaintiffs agreed to dismiss all claims against the sheriff’s office, according to a petition that was filed in court June 27.
Details of the case
The plaintiff alleges and believes that prior to the the victim’s death, the jail had a long history of overcrowding and failed to provide adequate security, supervision over inmates at the facility as well as a history of deliberate indifference to the needs of mentally ill and suicidal inmates, the lawsuit said.
Prior to the victim’s death, according to the lawsuit, the jail had a number of suicides, and named four other inmates who died by suicide.
The lawsuit alleges the defendant and its employees failed to provide an adequate number of trained security guards at numerous locations throughout the detention center, suicide watches took place in cells not meeting all the requirements of a standard of special purpose cells and the defendants knew or should have known that the failure to provide adequate security measures would result in unsafe conditions for the inmate population.
The lawsuit alleges the defendants knew that supervision and training were lacking in the area of suicide recognition and prevention and made no changes.
The lawsuit claims the defendant knew the victim had a history of mental illness and suicidal tendencies, and was aware of prior suicide attempts by Skyler Wright from the time that he entered the jail.
Skyler Wright was placed on suicide watch a month before his death and was placed in a regular cell, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit alleges the defendant ignored the risk to Skyler Wright and left his cell unattended and unsupervised on the day of his death.
Cell checks were not performed in the required interval time, the lawsuit said, and Skyler Wright died by suicide in his cell.
The estate of Skyler Wright sued for gross negligence and cited overcrowding in the jail, failing to provide adequate jail staff or security, not properly motoring inmates, failing to train jail staff to ensure inmate safety, failing to have safety policies and protocols for the safety and well-being of the inmates, failing to protect the plaintiff from the risk of harm.
The defendant also failed to intervene to stop a suicide, call for assistance, call for outside assistance in a timely manner, provide necessary treatment, provide security, take action to prevent harm, meet applicable minimum standards, screen and supervise independent contractors in jail, and properly classify and monitor inmates, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit states gross negligence caused the death of Skyler Wright and the estate was seeking wrongful death and survival damages.
Due to the defendant’s gross negligence, the plaintiff suffered damages from the attempted suicide and death, grief, suffering, loss of companionship, mental shock and suffering, loss of earnings, economic services and funeral and burial expenses, the lawsuit states.
Calls to the attorneys involved in the case were not returned.
Capt. Eric Abdullah with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment.