A court filing from a mediator reports a settlement has been reached in a 2018 wrongful death lawsuit surrounding the death of inmate Autumn Harris at the Walker County Jail.
The suit names Preemptive Forensic Health Solutions and company owner Roger J. Childers who is a registered nurse. Walker County had contracted with PFHS to provide health care for jail inmates. That company is no longer under contract.
The court mediator states a settlement was reached May 24th in the case. It was scheduled for trial August 14, 2023. The civil suit was filed on behalf of Autumn Harris's estate. Details have not been released.
The lawsuit alleged Harris was not given medical treatment for an upper respiratory infection that lead to her death. She was in jail on a failure to appear on a misdemeanor theft charge involving $40.
The ABC 3340 News I-Team investigated those allegations in a report on Walker County jail deaths following the high profile death of inmate Tony Mitchell who reportedly froze to death in the jail.
Booking records from November of 2018 show jail staff was aware Autumn had pneumonia and medications were given to the nurse. But for weeks Autumn was 'untreated, uncared for' according to family Attorney Justin Jones. "There's no affirmative evidence she was given her medication," said Jones.
Jones told ABC 33/40 News if at any point before Autumn's death had someone just taken her to the hospital for treatment she would be alive today. Records note days before her death, Autumn was having a hard time breathing.
ABC 3340 News will continue to follow developments in the court case.
The FBI continues to investigate the death of Tony Mitchell. A civil lawsuit has been filed by his family.