‘Nobody should have to bury their child’: Mother speaks out about why she’s suing Rockingham County Detention Center

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Melissa Efird says she is on a mission for justice that began after the loss of her son, Kyle Kepley.

He ended his life while in custody at the Rockingham County Detention Center. This devastating loss prompted Efird to file a lawsuit against the facility, alleging negligence and seeking justice for Kepley and the ten other inmates who have died in custody there over the past three and a half years.

The RCDC has had 11 in-custody deaths reported in the last three and a half years. In comparison, Forsyth County Jail reported five deaths, Guilford County Jail reported six, Stokes County Jail reported one and Alamance County Jail reported three during the same period.

“People in Rockingham County need to know and stand up,” Efird said.

Since the first in-custody death in 2021, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has conducted seven inspections at the RCDC.

Six of these inspections revealed that the facility did not meet the state’s supervision rule, which requires an officer to observe each inmate at least twice within 60 minutes with no more than 40 minutes between rounds. Reports indicate multiple gaps in supervision with some inmates going unchecked for more than two hours.

Kepley was arrested on June 30, 2022, for failing to appear in court for traffic charges and was taken to the RCDC.

According to Efird’s lawsuit, his girlfriend informed jail staff upon his booking that he had mental health issues and was suicidal. The lawsuit alleges that despite these warnings, the jail staff failed to take appropriate precautions.

In the hours leading up to his death, a detention officer reportedly heard Kepleyyelling, banging on his cell door, pressing the call button and making delusional statements yet took no action.

The lawsuit alleges that Kepley was left alone for three hours.

“As a mom, there is no excuse for that. I don’t care if there was one detention officer on duty that night. That one officer could have helped him or at least called an ambulance because that was a cry for help.” ” Efird said.

An anonymous former inmate described similar conditions.

“When it comes to suicide in there, they don’t take it seriously,” the former name said. “They might act like they care that first 10 to 15 minutes when you’re talking to them, but that, ‘I’ll be back’ might be anywhere from two, five, or even ten hours the next day.”

Sheriff Sam Page has declined repeated requests for an interview but did refer to a statement made at a June 7 county budget workshop meeting.

In that meeting, Page discussed some of the changes being made at the jail, including the implementation of a Medication-Assisted Treatment Plan funded by a $740,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

The loss of insurance has also been a significant issue for the jail. The facility managed to secure new coverage, but the premiums have increased from $161,000 to approximately $352,000, and the deductible has risen from $10,000 to $200,000 per incident. To cover these costs, county commissioners will draw from the inmate canteen fund.

“It’s not about money. It’s about stopping it from happening to a twelfth victim or a thirteenth victim,” Efird said. “I am so sorry … No one should have to go through this … Nobody should have to bury their child.”

The lawsuit will proceed in civil court.

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