Inmate’s wife files wrongful death suit

Wife sues over husband’s prison suicide

The federal lawsuit describes the inmate’s behavior as bizarre and delusional.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — A wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed in federal court by the wife of an inmate who hanged himself with an electric-typewriter cord at the Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton in Columbiana County.

The civil lawsuit filed Monday against the federal government alleges that Glen C. Hurst, 56, of Dayton, reported to the prison Oct. 2, 2007, with three prescribed medications and strangled himself a week later while going through withdrawal. The lawsuit contends that because the prison substituted an ineffective drug for Hurst’s Xanax, a psychotropic used to treat anxiety, he was forced to go “cold turkey” and suffered from the disorders for which the medication had been prescribed.

Hurst had been convicted of money laundering in a drug case and was sentenced to 21‚Ñ2 years in prison, records show.

The 23-page lawsuit describes Hurst’s behavior in prison as bizarre and delusional, consistent with a person’s experiencing benzodiazepine withdrawal. Examples of his behavior include saying he could see dead people and trying to put on another inmate’s shoes, saying he was “going back to the ship.”

His condition reached the point on Oct. 8, 2007, where he was confused, irrational and hallucinating, the lawsuit said. He was not taken to a hospital or the prison’s medical facility but was interviewed by a staff psychologist.

The next morning, Hurst was found in the corner of his cell talking about a nuclear explosion. He was later moved to a law library to be interviewed again and told the psychologist: “I know the girl who does your toenails. She brought me a TV to watch through the drainpipe,” the lawsuit states.

Because of Hurst’s strange behavior, the decision was made to put him on suicide watch, but he was left alone with his lunch while authorization was being obtained. At 12:02 p.m. Oct. 9, 2007, he was found hanging from the typewriter cord, which he’d tied to bars in the law library window.

“While properly medicated, Mr. Hurst was not suicidal and did not wish to end his life,” the lawsuit states. “If not for the negligent acts and omissions of defendant’s employees, Mr. Hurst would have served his sentence and returned to his life as a beloved member of his family.”

The lawsuit asks for “all damages available under Ohio law for his wrongful death.”