The widow of Robert Miller is appealing a federal judge鈥檚 decision to dismiss her lawsuit over her husband鈥檚 2019 death in Tarrant County Jail custody.
The county blamed Miller鈥檚 death on a sickle cell crisis, but questioned that conclusion. The paper found Miller didn鈥檛 have sickle cell disease and argued he may have died because detention officers pepper sprayed him repeatedly at close range.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office changed Miller鈥檚 manner of death from natural to 鈥渦ndetermined鈥� last year but stood behind its finding he died of a sickle cell crisis. That .
In 2023, Miller鈥檚 wife, Shanelle Jenkins, sued multiple detention officers and jail nurses allegedly involved in Miller鈥檚 death.
U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman dismissed the lawsuit in July, ruling it was filed too late. Miller died in 2019, and Jenkins filed her lawsuit in 2023 鈥� 鈥渨ell past the two-year statute of limitations,鈥� Pittman wrote.
Jenkins鈥� attorneys filed their notice appealing that dismissal August 8.
They鈥檝e previously argued the county and state that explained what happened to Miller. Jenkins didn鈥檛 know Miller was pepper sprayed until 2021, and the state鈥檚 full investigation of the incident wasn鈥檛 released until 2022, according to court filings.
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on X @MirandaRSuarez.
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