Death of Waller County inmate raises issues from Sandra Bland case

Evan Lyndell Parker, 34, is accused of killing 64-year-old Harry Parnell and critically injuring 36-year-old Jose Rangel on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. >>>See 10 takeaways from an earlier inmate hanging death at Waller County Jail ... less Evan Lyndell Parker, 34, is accused of killing 64-year-old Harry Parnell and critically injuring 36-year-old Jose Rangel on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. >>>See 10 takeaways from an earlier inmate hanging ... more Photo: Waller County Sheriff's Office Photo: Waller County Sheriff's Office Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Death of Waller County inmate raises issues from Sandra Bland case 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

An accused murderer has died after hanging himself in the Waller County jail, a sheriff's office official confirmed Wednesday.

Evan Lyndell Parker, 34, died a month after an inspection by regulators revealed that jailers didn't meet certain standards for frequency of observing prisoners — a deficiency also identified after the 2015 death of Sandra Bland in the same jail. Bland's suicide drew national attention and heightened the conversation about the treatment of African-Americans by police.

Parker died on Sunday, according to Shawna Willke, an administrative assistant in the sheriff's office. He had attempted suicide by hanging two days earlier.

"All I can say is, it's extremely unfortunate when it happens," said Waller County Judge Trey Duhon. "Even with the best of precautions, it is always possible that somebody intent on taking their life could be successful. All we can do is make sure we meet guidelines and do the routine checks. At this point, it looks like that was done."

The last known suicide at the jail was in July 2015, when Bland, then 28, was found dead from hanging in her cell three days after she was arrested during a traffic stop.

Bland's family in 2016 settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $1.9 million with Waller County officials and the state trooper who arrested Bland near Prairie View A & M, her alma mater. The trooper, Brian Encinia, was terminated from the Texas Department of Public Safety and cannot get another job in law enforcement as a result of the incident.

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Bland's death prompted investigations and eventually changed screening practices in jails across the state in an effort to prevent similar deaths. Waller County worked to make changes at its jail and is building a new one after a $39.5 million bond proposal passed.

Despite the changes, the most recent jail inspection report immediately available for Waller County, from December 2018, showed a violation similar to a finding after Bland's death.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: HBO's Sandra Bland documentary makes her more than a statistic

Jailers are required to complete face-to-face observation of all inmates at least once per hour. The December inspection found that the Waller County jail staff exceeded the time limit by a little over two and a half hours.

Inmates who are known to be assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill or who have demonstrated bizarre behavior are subject to more frequent observations — at least every half-hour. The report said Waller County jail staff exceeded this limit by up to 74 minutes.

In 2015, jailers had spoken with Bland via an intercom, rather than the required face-to-face observation, about an hour before discovering her hanging in her cell.

In the more recent inspection, the jail was also cited for four jailers lacking documented training for emergency situations for the third quarter of 2018. In addition, inspectors found that three inmates were not classified properly during their initial assessment.

Duhon referred comments about the violations to Sheriff Glenn Smith.

"They're certainly entitled to their opinions," Duhon said of jail critics, "but anybody who wants to come down to our jail and see all the changes and processes we've made since 2015 is welcome to do that. The self-checks are conducted with more frequency than ever before. We have medical staff. We spent a lot of time and money improving the situation at the Waller County Jail."

Brandon Wood, the executive director of the Texas Commission Jail Standards, said the agency was notified about Parker's death on Sunday.

Asked why information about Parker's death was not immediately released to the public, Duhon said the Texas Rangers office requested that all press releases come from its media office. He also said Parker's mother, now in a California penitentiary, had to be notified.

The sheriff's office posted a message to its Facebook page on Wednesday discussing the details of Parker's death. Parked died Sunday morning Memorial Hermann Hospital, according to the statement. It added that there had been "no indications of wrong doing or violations of policy with this event."

"There has been no indications of wrong doing or violations of policies with this event," the Sheriff R. Glenn Smith wrote.

Outside agency investigations including the Texas Rangers and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards are pending along with any autopsy results, the statement said.

"As with any tragedy of this nature, the Waller County Sheriff's Office encourages all investigations and any results from them," the statement said.

It was unclear what led to Parker's attempted suicide, which occurred in the early morning hours of Jan. 25, according to a statement posted on the Waller County District Attorney's Facebook page. Parker apparently was rushed to a hospital in Houston, where he was treated for injuries, the statement said. The FBI and Texas Rangers were asked to take over the investigation.

Parker was accused on Jan. 9 of killing 64-year-old Harry Parnell and critically injuring 36-year-old Jose Rangel. The three worked at Orizon Industries in Waller County.

It's unclear what led to the stabbing, although it is believed to have been work-related, deputies said. Parker fled afterward in a gray 2014 Nissan Versa. The charges against him were filed on Jan. 10.

Bland's death, meanwhile, continues to resonate in Houston and beyond.

An exhibit honoring her memory opened in 2018 at the Houston Museum of African American Culture. John Guess Jr., the museum's chief executive officer, who proposed the exhibit, said he wanted it to accurately depict Bland's personality and kindle a larger discussion about the fear African-Americans feel when they are stopped by law enforcement.

Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, attended the grand opening and was moved to tears. Even so, she told The Houston Chronicle last February she still did not have peace about her daughter's death.

"Absolutely not, because I still don't know how she left here," said Reed-Veal. "It gives me a sense of peace about the fact that it was necessary for me to participate in the carrying on of her legacy."

Samantha Ketterer and St. John Barned-Smith contributed to this report.

