Arizona Grandmother of 10 dies in jail (for not paying fine) after guards allegedly refuse medical t

UPDATE 8-4-15

DPS to launch an independent investigation of the death of Beverly Pool. Thank you for all your help. The fight is not over. One of the family members told me today that the 2nd witness was beaten in jail when our petition announcing two witnesses was posted. We are hoping for a federal investigation to ensure accuracy on all counts. Please note that Gia Heller Howard aka The #HumanAdvocate is NOT a lawyer, and just doing the best she can to be a voice for #BeverlyPool until resolution.

1.  I received a call from someone that had been jailed in La Paz County Jail asking for my help for a woman that was brought in very ill and left to die on a floor in a jail cell.  The statements I was originally told are below:

Hi Gia! I need your assistance with getting something on thee news. I'm pretty sure Jenna told you I was in jail. But something horrible happened.. When I was in jail, a woman came into booking (I watched this as I was sitting in intake on my 5th day)- she was nodding out so bad that she would basically be falling out of her chair. No one helped her. After a few hours pass, the Corporal throws her into mine and my inmate's pod with out a blanket for at least a few hours. The woman just lied down on her mat and passed out. When she finally did come in to give her a blanket, she just tossed it on top of her. and I respond "should I cover her up?" and the corporal responds to me with this rude and unacceptable tone, "uh if you want.. oh and like, make sure she doesn't fall over," and she walks out. Like, excuse me but I'm not allowed touch other inmates along with that not being my job. I covered the woman with the blanket, because that intake room was unbelievably cold, at least 65 degrees. Hours pass and no one comes to check up on her, not even once. a few hours pass (the woman was in the same spot she fell asleep in) and it was breakfast.. corporal came back to wake us up, and she finally decided to go to the woman, who was now completely unresponsive.. and the woman was dead. I don't want to go into details about how the woman looked, but she was dead for a least several hours due to her skin being blue/black. Now, the corporal yells "are you fucking kidding me" and then runs to call emt's and I believe the lieutenant. This could have been completely prevented if they would have sent her to get checked out by a doctor when she first came in, and even if they would have bothered to check up on her throughout the night. but no. anyone who came in there on drugs or whatever, they just automatically treat them like garbage. and due to gross negligence, a 52 year old woman OD'd and had to die in jail. I blessings go to her family, and I hope I can find her family to contact them and let them know what happened. She did not deserve that. her name was Beverly Pool. from Parker. AZ. it happened in La Paz County Jail. The corporal's name was Ms. Williams. If there's anyway you can help me get in contact with people who would share my experience, I would appreciate it. I also have other information involving more gross negligence from the same corporal, but it had happened to my inmate, who is only two years older than the woman who died. if it is possible to find someone, it would mean the world to me and more. if not, I totally understand and truly appreciate you taking the time to even read my message. I love you and hope you and the girls are doing well.

2.  I tried to contact the family to let them know of this witness that came forward.  Someone else found the family for me. 

3.  When I reached the family they were extremely thankful and happy there was a petition as there had been no headway in an independent investigation.

4.  We are thrilled that Parker Online published an article citing that DPS would now be performing an independent investigation into this situation.

5.  We look forward to the witnesses recalling their testimony over what happened in jail so the Pool family can have some justice and to ensure this does not happen to anyone in the future. 

*We did the best we could with limited information to ENSURE that an independent investigation would be performed as soon as possible.  If anyone has questions or wants to "quote" me, they should contact me at www.Facebook.com/HumanAdvocate

Thank you for considering the signing of this petition.  This could be any one of us or our children, mother or sister.  Please read below for details:


This morning I received a private message from an 18 year old girl that had been incarcerated on drug charges and released on bail.  She was alerting me that while in prison, she and another young girl in for drugs watched a 52 year old Woman named Beverly Pool die uncessacerily due to neglect after being put in jail for allegedly committing an act of domestic violence.


This could've happened to anyone . Imagine you and your husband/wife are drinking one night. You get crazy start screaming and because you're drunk you smack him/her, But you are wasted. He's super pissed and super drunk and calls the police. You are arrested. When you arrive at jail, even after intake, you cannot stand and lay shaking on the concrete for hours, unconscious. your body is toxic and getting sicker by the minute. (alcohol poisoning) this is going on a long time and no one comes to help because you are in jail and you are treated like an animal. You never even see the 2 18-year-old girls in your cell, because you are never even conscious. The guard that neglected you is angry you died. Your family is told you died. What they are not told is the neglect that led to your death.


I have contacted all of the news channels and while one told me they were "investigating" I still have not heard back.  I feel OBLIGED for her family to know the truth and for this to be under investigation.  Below is the account as reported by one of the witnesses:


Hi Gia! I need your assistance with getting something on thee news. I'm pretty sure Jenna told you I was in jail. But something horrible happened.. When I was in jail, a woman came into booking (I watched this as I was sitting in intake on my 5th day)- she was nodding out so bad that she would basically be falling out of her chair. No one helped her. After a few hours pass, the Corporal throws her into mine and my inmate's pod with out a blanket for at least a few hours. The woman just lied down on her mat and passed out. When she finally did come in to give her a blanket, she just tossed it on top of her. and I respond "should I cover her up?" and the corporal responds to me with this rude and unacceptable tone, "uh if you want.. oh and like, make sure she doesn't fall over," and she walks out. Like, excuse me but I'm not allowed touch other inmates along with that not being my job. I covered the woman with the blanket, because that intake room was unbelievably cold, at least 65 degrees. Hours pass and no one comes to check up on her, not even once. a few hours pass (the woman was in the same spot she fell asleep in) and it was breakfast.. corporal came back to wake us up, and she finally decided to go to the woman, who was now completely unresponsive.. and the woman was dead. I don't want to go into details about how the woman looked, but she was dead for a least several hours due to her skin being blue/black. Now, the corporal yells "are you fucking kidding me" and then runs to call emt's and I believe the lieutenant. This could have been completely prevented if they would have sent her to get checked out by a doctor when she first came in, and even if they would have bothered to check up on her throughout the night. but no. anyone who came in there on drugs or whatever, they just automatically treat them like garbage. and due to gross negligence, a 52 year old woman OD'd and had to die in jail. I blessings go to her family, and I hope I can find her family to contact them and let them know what happened. She did not deserve that. her name was Beverly Pool. from Parker. AZ. it happened in La Paz County Jail. The corporal's name was Ms. Williams. If there's anyway you can help me get in contact with people who would share my experience, I would appreciate it. I also have other information involving more gross negligence from the same corporal, but it had happened to my inmate, who is only two years older than the woman who died. if it is possible to find someone, it would mean the world to me and more. if not, I totally understand and truly appreciate you taking the time to even read my message. I love you and hope you and the girls are doing well.

Update #28 years ago
DPS to launch an independent investigation of the death of Beverly Pool. Thank you for all your help. The fight is not over. One of the family members told me today that the 2nd witness was beaten in jail when our petition announcing two witnesses was posted. We are hoping for a federal investigation to ensure accuracy on all counts. Please note that Gia Heller Howard aka The #HumanAdvocate is NOT a lawyer, and just doing the best she can to be a voice for #BeverlyPool until resolution.
Update #18 years ago
One of our supporters found one of Beverly's 10 kids online creating a "Go Fund Me" campaign for funeral costs. This woman had liver and kidney issues and is loved very much by her children. She was grieving the loss of one of her sons as of late. She was allegedly arrested for allegedly having prescription drugs on her that were not prescribed. Please donate as they just buried a child: http://www.gofundme.com/3k3uf9cyg
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