27-05-2025
Wrongful death case against Hampden County Sheriff's Office reach settlement
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Lawyers representing the estate of a Vermont woman who died in the custody of the Hampden County Sheriff's office have settled with the department.
The estate of Madeline Linsenmeir will receive a $600,000 payment, which will be placed in trust for the care of her son. In 2018, Linsenmeir was held at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee after being arrested by Springfield police.
Court denies motion to dismiss wrongful death case against Springfield PD, Hampden County Sheriff
The estate's lawyers say Linsenmeir was suffering from a potentially deadly heart infection and had complained to both Springfield police and later jail staff about chest pain, but was ignored. She was taken to the hospital days after arriving in jail when she had been found unresponsive in her cell.
Under the settlement, the sheriff's office also must implement policy changes at the jail, including improved staff training and better treatment of people with opioid use disorder.
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