Travis County Sheriff's Office Disclose Details Leading Up To Female Inmate's Death

AUSTIN, TX — Travis County Jail officials on Thursday identified an inmate who died late December after being transported to a hospital from the detention center.

On Dec. 28, Jacqueline Key, 55, alerted jail medical staff of her need for treatment, prompting officials to rush her to the University Medical Center Brackenridge emergency room, officials said. In a news advisory, jail officials referred to Key as a transient.

Jail officials said the woman underwent an unspecified medical procedure at the hospital, but subsequently died while recovering in the intensive care unit. She was pronounced dead at 8:34 a.m. on Dec. 29, officials said.

Key had previously been arrested by the Austin Police Department on Nov. 11, 2016, charged with possession of a controlled substance and another, unspecified city ordinance violation.

Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Internal Affairs Unit are conducting an investigation as a result of the death per standard practice in such cases, officials said. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office is also conducting an investigation into the woman's cause of death, with a determination contingent on toxicology results.

Officials added no evidence of foul play was found in the woman's death.

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