Sherri Williams, the mother of Fred R. Williams Jr., has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Cayuga County and several county departments, alleging negligence and indifference led to her son’s suicide while in custody at the Cayuga County Jail. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, claims that county officials failed to address Fred Williams’ mental health needs despite his known history of suicide attempts and mental illness.
Fred Williams was remanded to the Cayuga County Jail in June 2022 and remained in custody until his death in November of that year. The lawsuit alleges that during his incarceration, multiple requests were made for his mental health medications, which were never provided. Despite warning signs of his deteriorating mental health, such as refusing meals and behaving erratically, Williams did not receive the necessary care or attention. On November 24, 2022, he was found unresponsive in his cell after attempting to hang himself with a bed sheet. He died the next day at Upstate University Hospital.
The lawsuit accuses the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, Cayuga County Jail, and Cayuga County Mental Health of failing to provide proper medical care, supervision, and mental health assessments. Williams’ family is seeking $10 million in damages, claiming that the jail’s negligence and failure to intervene led to his death. The case raises serious concerns about the treatment of inmates with mental health issues in the county jail system.
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