LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four years after a Louisville mother suffered a slow, painful death in the custody of the Jackson County Jail in Indiana, her family is finally seeing justice.
Ta’Neasha Chappell died on July 16, 2021, following hours of pleas for help that went unanswered. Her death, uncovered through a yearslong WDRB investigation, sparked protests, multiple inquiries, and national attention after recordings showed the 23-year-old begging for medical care as her condition deteriorated over 20 hours.
Jackson County has now agreed to a $5.6 million settlement in connection with her death. Court documents confirm that commissioners approved the payout, which will go to Chappell’s daughter.
Chappell was arrested in May 2021 after allegedly shoplifting and leading police on a chase that began at an outlet mall in Columbus, Indiana, and ended with a crash on Interstate 65 in Clark County.
On the night of July 15, 2021, she began to feel sick and pleaded for help, repeatedly telling staff, “I need help, I need to go to the hospital.” Audio evidence shows she begged for assistance at least 20 times between 8 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. the next day, saying she was vomiting blood and needed urgent care.
Jail nurse Ed Rutan checked on her around 9 a.m. on July 16, took her vitals, and offered Tylenol, promising a full medical exam later. Within half an hour of his visit, Chappell again tried to reach guards for help. By 9:20 a.m., she reported vomiting in her sleep, and as the hours passed, her cries weakened until she became incoherent.
Guards eventually moved her to a monitoring room, where she fell, hit her head, and lay on the floor naked and fading. It wasn’t until 2:30 p.m. that staff recognized the emergency, but she remained untreated for another 40 minutes because the nurse refused to enter the cell. Two female guards were sent in but didn’t help her dress.
When EMS finally arrived, Chappell attempted to stand but collapsed onto the gurney without assistance. She was pronounced dead at 5:42 p.m. at Schneck Medical Center—20 hours after her first plea for help.
Records later revealed that some staff members dismissed her condition, while others ignored her distress entirely. The prosecutor never presented the case to a grand jury, stating in 2021 that “no crimes were committed by the Jackson County Jail” and that any negligence fell under civil, not criminal, law.
The state later revoked Rutan’s medical license.
Although the settlement has been approved, it still requires final authorization from the probate court overseeing Chappell’s estate, expected within two months. Jackson County is required to make payment by December 2025.
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