Lakeport >> The district attorney’s office found the August death of an inmate at the Lake County jail to be a suicide, ruling out any misconduct by jail staff.
A little more than a day after her arrest, Elizabeth Dara Gaunt was found at about 2:30 p.m. unresponsive on the floor between the toilet and wall of her sobering cell. She had a strip of blanket tied around her neck. The officer who found her called for assistance, removed the blanket from the sink and moved Gaunt to the center of the cell to perform CPR, according to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office final report. Medics came within minutes, but efforts to resuscitate the 56 year old were not enough. Gaunt was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 3:12 p.m. on Aug. 2.
The district attorney’s office and Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) launched independent investigations into the incident, reviewing officer’s reports and interviews, jail records and video surveillance.
Officers first made contact with Gaunt on Aug. 1 after receiving reports of a woman around Lakeshore Boulevard and Sayre Street in Nice, allegedly banging on different yard gates to homes, the final report states.
Deputies Kalen Brockwalder and Michael Davis were dispatched to the area and contacted Gaunt at 12:13 p.m. In questioning Gaunt allegedly gave deputy Brockwalder the false name of Carrey Scott and maintained that name throughout his contact with her.
As the deputy continued to question Gaunt, he began to notice inconsistencies with what she was saying. Gaunt, according to Brockwalder, believed it was the year 2005, George W. Bush was president and that they were in Florida. Shortly thereafter, the deputy conducted a drug evaluation test and placed her under arrest for being under the influence of a controlled substance and booked her at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility at 1:07 p.m. After determining her true identity an additional charge of providing false information to a peace officer was added.
Gaunt’s behavior was described at times as nice and at other times she appeared hysterical during her time in custody.
A toxicology report completed by Central Valley Toxicology showed that Gaunt had a methamphetamine level of 0.8 mg/L and amphetamine level of 0.09 mg/L. A potentially toxic level of methamphetamine is 0.2 to 5 mg/L.
In the two hours prior to discovering Gaunt, correctional officers did cell checks eight times, consistent with the department’s policy, according to the district attorney’s office report.
Arnold R. Josselson conducted an autopsy report on Aug. 5 and declared Guant’s cause of death asphyxiation due to hanging.
The investigation concluded that, for unknown reasons, Gaunt wrapped a blanket around the sink nozzle, then her neck and laid back in an effort to strangle herself, the district attorney’s report stated.
Such findings led the office to rule the death a suicide not caused by any member of the LCSO or correctional facility personnel.
