Family Sues Pennsylvania Jail over Heroin Withdrawal Death

An inmate’s surviving family is suing a western Pennsylvania jail saying the man died because his complaints about heroin withdrawal were ignored.

The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Pittsburgh targets the Westmoreland County Prison in Greensburg where 23-year-old Corey Kardos was found dead in his cell March 9. At the time, Warden John Walton said Kardos didn’t commit suicide and Walton said he had no information about any medical condition that would have contributed to his death.

But Kardos’ family claims he was a heroin addict and complained repeatedly about withdrawal symptoms when he was arrested and jailed March 1.

The county isn’t commenting on the suit which says Kardos died of malnutrition and other problems caused by his untreated withdrawal sickness.

Latest Comments

• March 9, 2011 at 5:15 pm

  Lucy says:

  You are a disgusting uneducated and I won't even call you a human being. Addiction is a disease but you are too stupid to understand that. Someone like you has no worth i... read more
• August 26, 2009 at 3:21 am

  Curious Observer says:

  From what I have learned about addiction, more times than not the addiction is a coping mechanism for an underlying problem. We do not know what led this young man to use hero... read more
• August 25, 2009 at 1:41 am

  SWFL Agent says:

  Doesn't sound like any of us know the facts. Typically I side with Law Enforcement. They have a hard, crummy job, with very little pay. But if you're going to lock people up, ... read more