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Woman, 32, dies in custody.
Ayanna Smith died in police custody. Now, the Texas Rangers and Travis County Sheriff investigate.
Published July 1, 2024 at 11:35am by Bianca Moreno-Paz
Another Death in Custody at Travis County Jail
A 32-year-old woman, Ayanna Lashawn Smith, is dead after being found unresponsive in her cell at Travis County Jail. This is the fourth in-custody death at the jail this year.
"Jail staff began administering CPR and were relieved by Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services upon their arrival. All resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful."
— Kristen Dark, jail spokesperson
URLs:
Details:
- Name: Ayanna Lashawn Smith, 32, of Austin
- Date of Incident: June 28, 2023 (~9:20 a.m.)
- Charges: Criminal trespass and parole violation (arrested June 25)
- Autopsy: Conducted Saturday, final report pending
- Investigation: Texas Rangers and the jail's criminal investigations division
No cause of death has been provided, and the jail has declined to comment on Smith's mental health or suicide watch status.
The public deserves transparency and accountability.
Read more: 32-year-old woman dies in custody at Travis County Jail, three days after arrest