Joshua McLemore

Joshua McLemore was a 29-year-old resident of Seymour, IN. Born in Gulfport, MS, he enjoyed playing chess and watching sports. He had a history of schizophrenia and substance abuse.

On July 20, 2021, in the midst of a mental health episode, McLemore was taken to a hospital. While there, he pulled the hair of a nurse, prompting a hospital security guard to contact the police. Before hospital staff were able to stabilize McLemore, four officers arrived and arrested him, “placed him in handcuffs and leg shackles, and carried him out of the hospital, naked except for his underwear,” according to a lawsuit filed by his estate. McLemore was booked into the Jackson County Jail and, the lawsuit alleged, placed in “a small, windowless, padded isolation cell, where he remained confined, naked, alone and in a constant state of psychosis for the next 20 days.” According to the lawsuit, he was removed from his cell only four times over the course of three weeks, for showers. He barely slept and had no meaningful access to a toilet.

At one point, McLemore was allegedly kept in a restraint device with his legs bound for more than four hours. He consumed little food or water and became so weak that he could not stand. He lost 45 pounds in less than three weeks, according to the lawsuit

McLemore was eventually taken to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with conditions including hypoxia, or insufficient oxygen in his body tissues; encephalopathy, a disease affecting brain function; hypernatremia, an indication of severe dehydration; rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of damaged muscle tissue; and acute renal failure. He died on August 10, 2021. The cause of death, according to his autopsy, was “multiple organ failure due to refusal to eat or drink with altered mental status due to untreated schizophrenia.”

Both the county and the company denied wrongdoing. A representative for Advanced Correctional Healthcare told us, “The resolution of the McLemore case was confidential, so the company cannot comment on it.” The claims made in the civil suit, the company said, are “neither supported by evidence nor proven in court.” Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer did not respond to the Lab’s request for comment.

A full account of the lawsuit—including the estate’s allegations against Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Jackson County and others, as well as each party’s response—is available through PACER (Case 4:23-cv-00057, Southern District of Indiana).

• IN THE NEWS (Warning: Disturbing Contents)
  • Article One
  • Article Two
  • Article Three
• LITIGATION (Warning: Disturbing Contents)
  • Complaint
  • Answer from Advanced Correctional Healthcare
  • Answer from Jackson County, IN