Congressman Asks Department of Justice to Investigate Sandra Bland's Death

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-11th) has asked the attorney general to investigate the death of Naperville resident Sandra Bland, who died last week in a Texas jail cell.

Her death was ruled a suicide, according to preliminary autopsy results released Thursday in Waller County, Texas, with no evidence of defensive injuries to her hands.

Foster, who represents the 11th congressional district that includes Naperville, said the case merits scrutiny by the Department of Justice. The congressman sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Thursday. Bland’s family has been steadfast in their belief the 28-year-old would not have killed herself.

Her arrest after an argument with a police officer following a traffic violation and her death three days later have stirred anger.

Writes Foster in his letter to Lynch:

“The circumstances of Ms. Bland’s death are unclear and warrant an inquiry into the facts leading up to her arrest and what happened while she was in police custody. Her family and the community that loved her deserve the justice that comes with truth. Whether there was or was not foul play or negligence leading up to her death, our society failed Ms. Bland. I encourage you to initiate a full and thorough investigation so that we all may have the closure of truth and take action to help protect all our citizens from tragedy.

A Waller County, Texas, prosecutor, Warren Diepraam, discussed the preliminary autopsy results at a press conference on Thursday.

“There were no bite marks or other injuries on her face, on her lips, on her tongue, which would be consistent with a violent struggle,” he said.

Diepraam said the absence of such marks does not mean a violent struggle did not take place, however.

Bland had a uniform and consistent mark around her neck, Diepraam said, and no damage to her trachea and esophagus. After her body was found, the sheriff’s department announced that she asphyxiated herself with a plastic trash bag.

Preliminary toxicology reports state that Bland had a “substantial” amount of marijuana in her system and cut marks on her wrists and forearm that appeared to have been sustained within the last two to four months, reports The Texas Tribune, quoting a prosecutor who reviewed the autopsy findings.

An inmate in a nearby cell told CNN she did not hear any sounds of a struggle, commotion or screaming from Bland’s cell prior to the discovery of her body. She told CNN Bland could often be heard crying and spoke of worries about her family and missing the first day of her new job.

RECENT COVERAGE ON PATCH

Death of Sandra Bland a ‘Murder Investigation’ Now

• District attorney says the case will go to a grand jury. Meanwhile, civil rights activists ask the Justice Department to step in. Also on Patch:

• • Sister ‘Infuriated’ By Dash Cam Footage
  • Sandra Bland Tried to Kill Herself Before Arrest: AP
  • Texas Public Safety Denies Altering Sandra Bland Dash Cam Footage
  • Timeline Leading Up to Death of Sandra Bland Released
  • Lawyer for Family of Sandra Bland Describes Police Dash Cam Video
  • Family of Naperville Woman Who Died in Jail Seeks Independent Autopsy

FULL TEXT OF CONGRESSMAN FOSTER’S LETTER