The death of an inmate in the care of the Jackson County Jail this summer did not occur because of any crimes committed by inmates or employees at the jail.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant issued that finding from the investigation into the death of Ta’Neasha Chappell late Friday afternoon.

The 23-year-old Louisville, Kentucky, woman died July 16 at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, where she had been taken after becoming ill the day before while housed at the jail in Brownstown.

Chalfant said the results of the autopsy showed the manner of Chappell’s death is undetermined. He said the manners of death can be determined as natural, homicide, suicide, accidental or undetermined.

Chalfant said the autopsy was clear Chappell did not die of any inflicted injury, such as puncture wounds, asphyxiation or blunt-force trauma.

The investigation did determine Chappell had old gunshot wounds, but those predated her being jailed in Jackson County.

Chappell’s death was investigated by the Indiana State Police at the request of Sheriff Rick Meyer.

On Friday night, Meyer released a statement in reference to the release of the investigation report.

“We appreciate the patience of the public while the investigation into the death of Ms. Chappell was ongoing,” he said. “We have to this point declined to comment to avoid any interference with the work of the Indiana State Police. The sheriff’s department cooperated fully with the Indiana State Police and the prosecutor’s investigation.”

Meyer said the results of the investigation found Chappell was not denied medical care and that efforts were made by jail personnel to address her claimed medical needs. It also was determined no sheriff’s department personnel were involved in the intentional, knowing or reckless mistreatment of Chappell.

“We thank the state police for their work and the public for their patience as the investigation was completed,” Meyer said. “We extend our sympathies to Ms. Chappell’s family.”

Chalfant said as part of that investigation, state police viewed all videos when Chappell was booked into the jail May 26 after her arrest following a pursuit that began in Jackson County and ended in Clark County.

Chappell was arrested on a theft charge related to an incident in Bartholomew County earlier that day. She also was arrested on charges of escape, three counts of resisting law enforcement, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving and possession of marijuana as a result of the pursuit.

The timeline of events leading to Chappell’s death started at 4:47 p.m. July 15 when she contacted jail staff and said she was throwing up blood and leaving it in the toilet so jailers could see it, Chalfant said.

A jail employee who checked the toilet reported not seeing any blood but seeing a light green substance that appeared to be mucus, Chalfant said. She also complained of having a store throat.

Throughout the remainder of that day and into the next, Chappell told jailers she had felt sick all day, her stomach and head hurt, her body felt warm and she had been vomiting at times, he said.

Jailers checked on her five times overnight, and at 8:33 a.m. July 16, Chappell reported she had been spitting up blood.

At 9:57 a.m., the jail nurse visited Chappell in her cell, took her blood pressure and temperature and determined she was alert and oriented with normal vitals.

Chappell continued to ask for help throughout the morning and early afternoon and at one point told jailers she had sickle cell disease, Chalfant said.

At 12:58 p.m., she was placed in a private holding cell, where she removed her clothing, stumbled around, fell, got up and at one point hit her head on the side of the metal bed frame, Chalfant said.

At 3:29 p.m., she was taken by Jackson County Emergency Medical Services to Schneck. The ambulance personnel who took her to the hospital recorded her blood pressure at 115/31, her pulse at 90 to 100 and rapid, regular breathing, according to the news release.

They also noted she had warm and dry skin and a yellow discoloration (possibly jaundice or dried regurgitated bile) but was alert and responsive to questioning by shaking her head or nods because she was nonverbal, Chalfant said.

Schneck emergency room staff members were provided information from transporting EMTs that Chappell had reportedly been vomiting the night before. An initial evaluation showed her vital signs to be stable and no indication of a fever.

An IV was started to get fluids into Chappell as well as starting the process of obtaining blood and urine samples for diagnostic testing purposes. A nurse noted Chappell had yellowing around her lips and eyes and thought she could be experiencing liver failure. A urine sample revealed Chappell’s urine was dark red, which possibly indicated a bad urinary tract infection, sepsis or cancer, Chalfant said.

A Schneck doctor remembered treating Chappell at the time of her arrest May 26 and learned she had informed Schneck staff that day that she had sickle cell disease and wondered if the jaundice she had July 16 could be indicative of sickle cell attack. The doctor also thought they should consider the possibility that Chappell had ingested a toxic substance, such as antifreeze or methanol, or that she had liver disease.

Schneck staff ordered a variety of tests on Chappell, but before any tests could be completed, she stopped breathing. Medical personnel continued treatment until she ultimately died at 5:45 p.m. Chalfant said.

In attempting to determine what was wrong with Chappell, Chalfant said Schneck medical personnel used a process called differential diagnosis. That’s process wherein a doctor differentiates between two or more conditions that could be behind a person’s symptoms.

He said when making a diagnosis, a doctor may have a single theory as to the cause of a person’s symptoms. They may then order tests to confirm their suspected diagnosis. In using this approach, Schneck medical staff considered the possibility Chappell was experiencing liver failure, sepsis, cancer, possible ingestion of antifreeze or sickle cell disease.

Chalfant said care administered to Chappell both at the jail and at the hospital was unsuccessful in saving her life.

“Miss Chappell was not denied medical care,” he said. “Whether a person or entity had a duty of reasonable care toward a person and if that care was sufficient or a breach of that duty of reasonable care are matters of civil law and not criminal law.

“What is clear is that efforts were made by Jackson County Jail personnel to address the claimed medical needs of Miss Chappell, and the timing of the application of medical care or misappreciation of the seriousness of the medical circumstances of Miss Chappell, if applicable, is not ‘reckless’ conduct toward Miss Chappell, and therefore, her death was not the result of a reckless homicide,” he said.

As part of the investigation, state police and Chalfant’s office reviewed medical records, spoke with medical and laboratory personnel and reviewed communications with Chappell, including telephone calls, emails, video calls and written correspondence, Chalfant said.

They also listened to intercom communication between Chappell and jail staff and interviewed law enforcement officers and jail staff who had contact with her July 15 and 16, he said.

State police also had multiple meetings with Chappell’s family and attorney, received information from them and investigated that information, Chalfant said.

State police also interviewed every inmate who had contact with Chappell or said they had information about her death, he said.

The investigation also examined several allegations made by inmates, including one that two jailers had thrown her to the ground when placing her in a holding cell and another that other inmates had put a cleaning agent into Chappell’s food or drink to poison her, Chalfant said.

He said the allegation about her being thrown to the floor by jailers was refuted by video evidence.

Chalfant said jail employees do provide inmates with cleaning products for cleaning their cells and common areas. State police collected a sample of the cleaning agent and spoke with doctors and chemists, who said the cleaning agent would not cause death.

State police were unable to substantiate any truth to the allegations Chappell had been poisoned, Chalfant said.

He also said the report makes no finding and no conclusions about the standard of care provided by the employees of the Jackson County Jail.

In October, Chappell’s family filed a $30 million lawsuit against Meyer and eight jail staffers in connection with her care leading up to the time of her death.

Attorney Sam Aguiar of Louisville filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on behalf of LaVita McClain, who is Chappell’s mother.