DOJ reviewing 2023 death investigation concerning Eau Claire County Jail

A death investigation involving a woman who died in the Eau Claire County Jail has taken more than a year and is still not public. | Getty Images photo

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) is reviewing the death investigation prepared by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office concerning the demise of Silver O. Jenkins, 29, who was found unresponsive in the Eau Claire County Jail on March 12, 2023.

In response to a July 15 Wisconsin Examiner open records request to St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson concerning the death investigation, Knudson responded on July 22 that the investigation is complete and “all the materials from the investigation have been turned over to the Wisconsin Department of Justice for review.”

However, Knudson said, after conducting a “balancing test” of “public interest” versus “integrity of the legal system” the death investigation would not be released at this time to “…allow the Department of Justice ample time to make a determination related to the investigation prior to the records being disclosed to the public.”

He added, “Public policy favors public safety and effective law enforcement, which is supported by the decision to deny your request at this time until the Department of Justice has completed their review of the investigation.”

In an email exchange shared with the Examiner dated July 15, between St. Croix County Sheriff Captain Tim Kufus and DOJ Assistant Attorney General James Kraus, it appears the DOJ expects  to complete its review by the end of July.

“Requests for reports are continuing to come in, when can we expect a decision from your office? We would like to fulfill the requests,” Kufus wrote to Kraus.. Kraus responded, “Now that we have the policies, I hope to complete my part of the case by the end of this month.”

Questions

In response to the July 22 email from Sheriff Knudson, the Examiner also requested to know when the death investigation had been completed and when it was turned over to the DOJ for review.

Sheriff Knudson said the death investigation had been completed in August 2023 and forwarded to the Eau Claire Sheriff’s Office, but he did not know when Eau Claire had turned the investigation over to the DOJ for review.

On March 14, 2023, the Eau Claire Sheriff’s Office put out  a press release about Jenkins’ death and noted that she was “…listed as homeless, was charged on February 10 for disorderly conduct and bail jumping, “ and added that she was in jail on $500 cash bond and had made her first appearance in court on Feb.14.

The press release also notes that the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office and the Eau Claire County Medical Examiner’s Office would be investigating the death.

It is not clear why it has taken over a year, an unusually long time, for details of the  investigation to be released.

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