Another death in Tarrant County jail. A dubious investigation. When will this end?

The sad story of Robert Miller’s death in 2019 incorporates elements of nearly every problem implicated in the management of the Tarrant County Jail.

How he was pepper-sprayed while handcuffed. Failures to address mental illness. An investigation that appears less than thorough, including a questionable determination by the county medical examiner about his “natural” cause of death. All of this was wrapped up in what is a continued, troubling lack of transparency by Sheriff Bill Waybourn’s office.

Star-Telegram reporter Nichole Manna’s detailed report casts serious doubts about how Miller died just hours after being booked in jail and the lack of scrutiny and accountability that followed. Her investigation reveals challenges that county commissioners, the Sheriff’s Office and John Peter Smith Hospital officials must tackle swiftly to prevent such cases from happening again.

Miller’s death, the investigation found, may have stemmed from the use of pepper spray. His aggression with officers and deputies, probably related to his well-documented mental health issues, may have meant the spray was inevitable. But when Miller showed signs of distress and jailers summoned emergency help, they inexplicably told medics they suspected a drug overdose, even though Miller had been restrained and pepper-sprayed. No drugs were ultimately found in Miller’s system.

Miller, who had struggled with asthma, complained that he couldn’t breathe. If the medics knew about the spray, there were treatment steps to take.

This is an unacceptable failure. Whatever has happened, whatever the reason, all involved must be given correct and complete information.

The medical examiner ruled that Miller’s death was from natural causes, the result of a sickle cell crisis. There’s just one problem: He didn’t have sickle cell disease. Independent experts consulted by Manna found no evidence of the condition in Miller’s medical records, and his family said he’d never gotten such a diagnosis, which almost always happens in childhood.

A stunning lack of curiosity by the medical examiner is one thing. But the error was compounded when a Texas Rangers investigation accepted the finding. That report meant there was no basis for discipline, policy changes or a criminal investigation, let alone criminal charges. The Ranger assigned to the case didn’t even view video footage of Miller’s time in the jail, delegating that task to — wait for it — a sheriff’s detective. What a conflict of interest.

At least 45 people have died at the jail since 2019. County leaders, including Waybourn, have cited the fact that Rangers investigate such deaths as a reason for confidence in the system for reviewing cases and making improvements. Time for a new talking point.

When facts are omitted, when investigations don’t go deep enough, when those with official charges give only cursory reviews, it prevents improvement. We can’t fix what we don’t know about or what may have been covered up.

Miller’s family was stymied in trying to get information about what happened, until it was released as part of a wrongful-death lawsuit. It shouldn’t come to that.

Waybourn and other leaders often note, correctly, that many people who arrive at the jail have troubled medical histories, undiagnosed conditions and generally poor health. Mental-health crises often compound the problem. The task for jail officials is difficult and complicated.

That’s precisely why more care and thoroughness are required. Processes can always be improved, but not if anyone, from jailers to medical examiners, is reluctant to tell the truth or too incompetent to uncover it.

If nothing else, consider it a matter of fiscal responsibility. The county just paid $400,000 to settle a lawsuit over a suicide in the jail.

But really, it’s a question of humanity. Life was a struggle for Miller, and when he died, his wife wasn’t even notified. Manna’s investigation brought his story to light, and there are many more vulnerable people whose stories go untold. If we neglect them, what does that say about us?

Miller didn’t deserve to die because he went to jail. The fact that it could have been preventable should shake everyone involved.