Woman in Mount Vernon holding-cell death was ill after hospital visit Mount Vernon

Saturday, August 1, 2015
Woman found dead in Mount Vernon holding cell
Carolina Leid reports on the investigation into the death of a shoplifting suspect in a Mount Vernon holding cell.

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (WABC) -- A state official says a New York woman found dead in police custody two days after her arrest on a shoplifting charge vomited in a holding cell hours after returning from a hospital.

Courts spokesman David Bookstaver tells The Journal News Saturday that Raynette Turner was returned to a police-controlled holding cell after throwing up in a court holding area July 27.

He says the 42-year-old mother of eight was taken from a second-floor court holding area to the first-floor police holding cell after throwing up. She was found dead there hours later. The night before she reported not feeling well and was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

She never appeared in court.

The newspaper says more tests are needed after an initial autopsy proved inconclusive.