Inmate dies in Jackson County custody. Investigation ongoing
A man has died in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center.
Timothy J. Beckmann, 64, was found unresponsive in his Kansas City jail cell on May 19, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Beckmann was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The sheriff’s office is conducting a death investigation. According to the department, medical examiners will determine Beckmann’s cause of death.
Captain Ronda Montgomery, a spokeswoman with the sheriff’s office, declined to provide more details, citing “an adherence to privacy laws, including HIPPA.”
“The death of an individual in our custody is a matter we take with the utmost seriousness and care,” Sheriff Daryl Forté said in a statement. “We are committed to thoroughly examining all circumstances surrounding such incidents, and this particular case remains under investigation.”
Beckmann’s attorney could not be immediately reached Monday for comment.
Beckmann was arrested in September and charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree property damage.
In January, the court filed an order for continuance, finding him “incompetent to proceed” after he received a mental health evaluation.
In 2021, Marquis Wagner, 21, died in a restraint chair in the Jackson County Detention Center. He was left alone for hours, despite him telling officers that he couldn’t breathe, according to a lawsuit filed by his parents.
Wagner had mental health concerns, according to the suit, and was arrested for shooting through his apartment door because he thought he heard signs of someone trying to break in.
Jackson County settled in the lawsuit for $1.2 million in 2023.
The Star’s Robert Cronkleton and Mike Hendricks contributed to this report.