DUCHESNE, Utah, Oct. 6, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Assistant Attorney General Craig Peterson on Thursday completed final arguments in the negligent homicide trial of 54-year-old Jana Clyde of Duchesne.
Clyde, previously a nurse at the Duchesne County jail, was charged after an inmate in her care, Madison Jensen, died of dehydration after five days at the jail.
Clyde was tried in June of this year, “but the jury in the case was unable to reach a verdict,” says a statement issued Thursday by the Utah Attorney General’s Office. “Eighth District Judge Don M. Torgerson declared a mistrial after the jury deadlocked after about 10 hours of deliberation.”
With the new trial complete, Torgerson will consider the case and issue a verdict within 30 days, the statement says.
Jensen, 21, died while in custody in 2016. She was booked on Nov. 27 for consumption/possession of both marijuana and heroin, and possession of drug paraphernalia, the Clyde’s probable cause statement says.
Clyde was told of the deteriorating condition of prisoner Jensen, “… and did not provide intervention or follow-up care to the victim despite being the onsite medical staff, and the victim died as a result,” charging documents say.
Jensen, 21, was from Roosevelt. Asked on intake if she was going through drug withdrawal, Jensen replied that she was, that “her drug of choice was heroin,” and that she also used prescription medicine to treat her blood pressure.
Clyde was assigned to get the victim’s prescription approved, which she did, and to evaluate her health, which Clyde reportedly did not do.
“Despite being very ill with both vomiting and diarrhea, defendant took no action to address this condition, and the victim was placed back into the general population of the jail,” the probable cause statement says. On Nov. 29, a deputy reported that Jensen’s condition had worsened.
“The deputy reported the victim’s deteriorating condition to defendant, who did not act to treat or follow up with the victim’s deteriorating condition and medical needs, even though the victim was then moved to a monitored cell with video surveillance away from the general inmate population,” the statement says.
On Nov. 30, the deputy had to help the victim take her medication, and reported to Clyde that Jensen could not get off her bed.
“Defendant made no assessment, did not see the victim, nor made any attempt to check on the welfare of the victim,” the statement says.
“December 1, 2016, the victim was found unresponsive in her jail cell and she was pronounced dead. Ultimately the medical examiner determined the victim died of a cardiac arrhythmia due to dehydration, in the setting of opiate withdrawal.”
Gephardt Daily will have more information after the release of the verdict.
