Family of Escambia Jail inmate who hanged himself sues county, two correctional officers

The family of a jailed murder suspect has filed a lawsuit against Escambia County and two Escambia County Jail correctional officers after the inmate hanged himself days after his arrest.

The curator of Lukas Mackenzie Snelson's estate filed a lawsuit through Cardoso Law on Dec. 20 against Escambia County and corrections officers Spiros Leonida Mumtzis and Gregory Morgan Ogelsby, alleging they were "deliberately indifferent to the medical needs" of Snelson as he hanged himself in his cell on Jan. 4, 2022.

"Mr. Snelson was in a state of asphyxiation for approximately 40 minutes prior to receiving assistance from the corrections officers on duty," the federal suit states. "During this 40-minute time period, the corrections officers on duty allegedly conducted two visual checks of Mr. Snelson and passed by his cell at least three times without any action to prevent him from taking his own life."

Snelson dies in hospital:Homicide suspect dies in hospital after hanging himself in Escambia County Jail

Snelson's arrest:ECSO: Homicide suspect dies in hospital after hanging himself in Escambia County Jail

Escambia County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Snelson Dec. 30, 2021, for allegedly killing an elderly woman who was found in her recliner with two dog leashes wrapped around her neck.

He was charged with second-degree murder, vehicle grand theft and resisting officers without violence after deputies found Snelson driving the woman's vehicle.

What happened after Snelson was booked into jail?

According to the lawsuit, an internal affairs report shows that Snelson made suicidal comments after his arrest on Dec. 30, 2021, and was taken to the infirmary for a mental health assessment.

Snelson underwent the assessment the next day on Dec. 31 and was designated as a "Mental Health 1" and remained in the infirmary for three days until Jan. 3, 2022, when he was transferred to his housing unit.

"On Jan. 4, 2022, at approximately 7:37 p.m., Mr. Snelson began the process of tying his bedsheet to his cell bars and affixing the other end to his neck," the lawsuit states.

More:Cantonment man charged in homicide of woman found with dog leashes around her neck

Along with Escambia County, which runs the jail, the suit names correctional officer Mumtzis and correctional officer trainee Ogelsby as codefendants for allegedly failing to help Snelson after he began hanging himself.

"At all material times to this action, defendants Mumtzis and Ogelsby wantonly and willfully disregarded Mr. Snelson's human rights and safety," the suit alleges, "making them personally liable to him in tort for the acts and omissions described herein."

After Snelson hanged himself at 7:37 p.m., according to the lawsuit, video surveillance shows Mumtzis passed by Snelson's cell twice between 7:48 p.m. and 8:05 p.m.

Oglesby then conducted a visual check on Snelson's cell at 8:06 p.m., but allegedly failed to notice the sheet around his neck due to a broken light in the cell.

"According to the IA Report, Mr. Snelson had been in a state of asphyxiation for approximately 10 minutes when Officer Mumtzis walked by his cell twice for a visual check," the suit states, "and approximately 28 minutes when Officer Ogelsby approached his cell for a visual check."

It was not until 8:17 p.m. that Mumtzis and Ogelsby aided Snelson after his cellmate lifted Snelson's body against the cell bars to try untying the sheet and other inmates began waving and yelling at jail staff.

Snelson's death

EMS arrived to Snelson's cell at 8:33 p.m. Jan. 4 and was able to resuscitate him and transported him to Baptist Hospital.

"According to Baptist Hospital medical records, Mr. Snelson's heart stopped as a result of the hanging and it had stopped for a great deal longer than initially reported to the hospital," the suit states, "especially given that his core body temperature was only 91.9 degrees upon arrival at the hospital."

Two days after Snelson hanged himself, he was removed from life support on Jan. 6, 2022, dying of asphyxia by hanging, per the lawsuit.

"Defendants Mumtzis and Oglesby failed to provide any assistance to Mr. Snelson for nearly 40 minutes as he was hanging himself despite the fact that these defendants passed by his jail cell several times during this time period," the suit states.

As a result of his death, the lawsuit alleges Mumtzis and Ogelsby knew "Snelson had a serious medical need in that he was mentally unstable" and "ignored or recklessly disregarded Mr. Snelson" while he was taking his own life.

The family of Snelson demanded a jury trial "for all issues so triable."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Family sues Escambia and correctional officers for wrongful death