Autopsy released in death of 34-year-old inmate at the Durham County jail
A newly released autopsy report failed to find a definitive cause of death for a Durham County Jail detainee who died in custody last year.
The medical examiner’s report ruled the cause of death for 34-year-old Brittany Kittell “undetermined.”
Kittrell entered the jail on Jan. 15, 2021, on charges of breaking and entering to terrorize or injure, robbery with a dangerous weapon, common law false imprisonment and felony possession of cocaine.
According to the report, she collapsed in her cell just before 6 a.m. four days later on Jan. 19, 2021, complaining to the guard of back and right leg pain. The guard reported no visible signs of injury on Kittrell and notified her supervisor and jail medical personnel. An on-site nurse said Kittrell struggled to articulate her symptoms.
As officers prepared Kittrell for transport to Duke Regional Hospital, she became unresponsive and began drooling a “dark brown liquid.” The on site nurse evaluated Kittrell and noticed her pulse and breathing had become irregular.
Emergency medical technicians were called, and Kitrell was taken to the emergency department.
After multiple attempts at defibrillation, nearly a dozen units of packed red blood cells and over 90 minutes of advanced life support, Kittrell was pronounced dead at 7:49 p.m.
Kittrell had a number of medical conditions, the report noted, including substance use disorder, hepatitis C and a previous left leg deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot condition that can be life threatening.
While in custody, she was placed on a protocol for heroin withdrawal, teh report stated. She also tested positive for COVID-19 in the hospital’s emergency department.
