CLEARFIELD – “We thought she would be safe.”
The parents of an inmate who died at the Clearfield County Jail attended the Prison Board meeting Tuesday, asking for answers.
On July 8 at 2:30 a.m., authorities say a corrections officer saw Kaitlyn Renee Evans, 31, who appeared to be asleep while sitting up on her bunk. When she did not respond, it was discovered she was “not breathing.”
Steps were taken to revive her and emergency personnel were called. She was declared dead by the coroner at 3:30 a.m., according to a previous release from the county commissioners.
In response to Harold and Heather Walstrom’s questions on Tuesday, Commissioner Dave Glass noted that the investigation is ongoing and Commissioner John Sobel stated they have been advised by their solicitor not to say anything at this time.
“We always want to be transparent,” said President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman, but he agreed that they can’t say anything more yet.
Ammerman expressed sympathy to the family.
Harold Walstrom asked who is handling the investigation and it was noted that it is the Clearfield Regional police.
He said he had spoken to the Attorney General’s office and was told that an investigation into the jail would have to be done by the District Attorney.
District Attorney Ryan Sayers responded that an investigation into the jail itself would be a separate thing from the investigation into this incident.
Sayers and other members of the Prison Board agreed to talk privately with the Walstrom’s following the meeting.
Obviously still stunned by their loss, Harold Walstrom commented that when Kaitlyn was arrested, “we were relieved. We thought she would be safe, but the system failed her,” adding that he is a former corrections officer so he thought being incarcerated would be the best place for her.
They also questioned the way they were notified about Kaitlyn’s death, which was by phone.
Glass said a phone call was the quickest way to let them know and it was important that they got notified quickly before hearing a rumor or seeing something on social media.
If they tried to arrange an in-person visit to break the news, it could have taken a day or even two, he said.
Ammerman then commented that he couldn’t remember the last time someone died from an overdose at the jail because deaths there are more likely to be medical issues or suicide.
Although no official cause of death has been released for Kaitlyn, the assumption has been that it was an overdose and happened two days after two other female inmates overdosed at the facility.
Both of them were able to be revived by the use of Narcan, according to a previous report.
The source of the substance taken by the females is part of the investigation as well.
Kaitlyn Evans was incarcerated at the jail in connection with a traffic stop in Lawrence Township on May 24.
The vehicle she was riding in allegedly had several blocks of Fentanyl, cash, pills and drug paraphernalia.
She was charged with two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
She had waived her right to a preliminary hearing on July 5, just three days before her death.
A Gofundme account was set up to help with Kaitlyn’s funeral expenses, which has raised over $3,500. Donations are still being accepted by the account and the Heath Funeral Home in Osceola Mills.