By Ryan Dunn
The Blad, Toledo, Ohio
TOLEDO, Ohio — The Lucas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating its third inmate death in a year and a half at the jail.
An autopsy will soon take place for Lisa McCray, 43, of Hilliard, Ohio. Jail officials have described the case as a tragic suicide. They continue to review jail surveillance video and other evidence.
Ms. McCray harmed herself about a minute and a half after a conversation with a corrections officer, Internal Affairs Capt. Richard Grove said Monday.
“She was put in a holding cell. She suffered an injury. It was self-inflicted,” Captain Grove said.
Lucas County Corrections Administrator Maj. John Sylvester previously said Ms. McCray wrapped a cord around her neck from a nearby phone.
Jail staff booked Ms. McCray shortly after midnight Friday on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. The officer checked on her just before 3:30 a.m. She was found unresponsive about 4 a.m.
Ms. McCray was pronounced dead at Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center.
Officials said all inmates are screened at booking for suicide risk and Ms. McCray was not flagged as requiring on-watch status. They said she was verbally abusive toward other corrections officers and inmates, requiring her move to a separate area.
Sheriff John Tharp has said officers did everything they were supposed to do and properly monitored Ms. McCray.
Ms. McCray spent time late Thursday at Hollywood Casino Toledo with her girlfriend, Danielle Belfield, and mother, Anne Showman.
A Toledo police report shows officers found Ms. Belfield and Ms. McCray highly intoxicated at the casino. They tried to escort Ms. Belfield, who became agitated. Ms. McCray walked up behind police in a “fighting posture,” according to the report.
Police told them to leave, and both refused. Officers then arrested them, the report states.
Ms. Belfield was charged with disorderly conduct. A Toledo Municipal Court judge released her on her own recognizance. Court records show she paid court costs in full.
Ms. Showman tried arranging transportation for them to leave the casino, said Ms. McCray’s father, Horace McCray.
Family members remain shocked by her death. Mr. McCray, 64, of McComb, Ohio, described his daughter as a kind nurse who also volunteered her time.
“Oh, God. Lisa was so loving. Everybody loved her. She made friends so easily,” Mr. McCray said. “She was supposed to come over the next day.”
Since 2007, 13 people have died while in jail custody, including three since May, 2016.
Corrections officers found Dewanna James, 43, unresponsive in her medical cell Oct. 2. There were no signs of foul play or visible injuries, and the investigation is still ongoing. Alfred Estis, 34, died in May, 2016, from apparent natural causes.
©2017 The Blade (Toledo, Ohio)