Woman serving 30-day sentence dies of apparent suicide in Clay County jail: authorities
A woman serving a 30-day sentence in the Clay County Detention Center died in an incident authorities are investigating as a suspected suicide.
Donje E. Lambie, 41, was found unresponsive in a jail dayroom on Tuesday after staff were alerted by other prisoners of her condition, Sarah Boyd, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said in a statement. Jail officers and medical staff unsuccessfully attempted to revive Lambie using CPR and a defibrillator, Boyd said.
Few details were immediately disclosed about the woman’s death, which is being investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. In the statement, Boyd said the agency “makes every effort to ensure the safety of inmates, to include providing 40 hours of in-house mental health care weekly.”
Lambie’s last listed address was in Overland Park. Court records identify her as homeless.
She pleaded guilty in mid-December to a municipal charge of tampering that originated in North Kansas City, and was sentenced to spend 30 days in the Clay County jail.
Lambie was initially scheduled to be released at 9 a.m. Tuesday. But Boyd said Lambie was informed that she would be transferred to the Platte County jail to be detained on pending felony theft charges there.
According to court records, Lambie faced a low-level felony charge in Platte County for an alleged theft involving valuables worth $750 or more.
This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 5:09 PM.
