PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney Office said no charges will be filed in the inmate death of Jamycheal Mitchell at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail.
The office released a report Wednesday of its investigation into the death of Mitchell in his cell at the jail.
The report said, "it provides a full account of the information and evidence this office unearthed, and makes clear that many questions remain unanswered due to the unavailability of the most material witnesses to the case."
"We are still missing a great deal of information that would make clear whether probable cause exists to charge specific persons for specific events and whether an affirmative defense applies; however, without the aforementioned information, no charges can be sought at this time," the report said.
Prosecutors said its efforts in obtaining information from vital witnesses — including NaphCare staff — have been met with obstacles.
Mitchell, 24, was jailed for allegedly stealing about $5 worth of food from a convenience store in April 2015. He spent four months behind bars before jail staff found him dead in his cell on August 19, 2015.
In January, Mitchell's family agreed to a $3 million settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit against Hampton Roads Regional Jail, according to documents.
"We recognize that jail or prison is sometimes an appropriate punishment for those who allegedly commit crimes. However, this office and each of its prosecutors subscribe to the belief that a person is not the sum of the crimes they have committed or poor choices they have made," the Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney Office said in the report.
The Department of Justice completed an investigation that started in December 2016 into the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth, and it concluded that there is reasonable cause to believe that the jail failed to provide constitutionally adequate medical and mental health care to prisoners.
READ THE REPORT:
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