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Home • News

Jail Cell Death of Cleveland Mother Ruled Accidental

Ralkina Jones died in a jail cell over the summer just hours after doctors diagnosed her with low blood sugar
Jail Cell Death of Cleveland Mother Ruled Accidental
Twitter/Ryllie Danylko
By Taylor · Updated October 27, 2020

A medical examiner has ruled the July death of 37-year-old Cleveland mother Ralkina Jones an accident.

Jones was taken into custody on July 24 after an alleged domestic dispute with her ex-husband. She told police officers that she suffered from high blood pressure, seizures and depression, and was taken to an area hospital later that night after her blood sugar dropped. She was discharged hours later and released back into police custody. The following morning, she was found dead in her jail cell.

Records: Ralkina Jones Improperly Medicated Before Dying in Cleveland Jail Cell

Records obtained by NBC News in August shows discrepancies between the reported medication doses that officers administered to Jones. The jail’s medication log shows she was given two doses of medication, while the jail’s main log says that she was given three. In either case, she received twice the amount of anti-depressants that she was prescribed. A pharmacist told NBC in August that the cocktail of prescriptions that she had been given could potentially have a lethal effect.

However, a medical examiner concluded earlier today that her death was a result of her various medical conditions, including sleep apnea and a heart condition.

A review of the jail’s protocol is still under investigation.