The family of Ta’Neasha Chappell, a Louisville woman who died while in custody at an Indiana jail, are on a quest for answers and have hired a well-known legal team to help them learn more about her mysterious death. According to the Louisville Courier Journal, the 23-year-old’s relatives have recruited attorneys Sam Aguiar, Lonita Baker and Ben Crump — the lawyers representing Breonna Taylor’s case.
“Our team has been given the privilege of seeking truth and justice for the family of Ta’Neasha Chappell,” Aguiar wrote in a statement on Wednesday (July 21). “More to come ASAP.”
Chappell was being held in Jackson County Jail on charges connected to an alleged theft of clothing at a Polo Ralph Lauren store and a subsequent high-speed chase.
After a little over a month in custody, she was taken to the Schneck Memorial Hospital where she took her last breaths. According to authorities, the 23-year-old was transferred to the hospital because of her vomiting and high temperature on Thursday (July 15). She passed away the following day at 6 pm, and her family was informed nearly two hours later.
Chappell’s sister, Ronesha Murrell, said that the 23-year-old complained about issues she was having with staff and other inmates. On one occasion, a noose was found in her bed, causing her to fear for her life. Two weeks before she died, however, she seemed to be in a much better space.
Per Murrell, “very little details” about Chappell’s death have been shared by state police, and the jail has been irresponsive. An investigation into the incident is underway. Pending the results of the 23-year-old’s autopsy, state police have chosen not to comment on the matter.
“We don’t anticipate any further statements until investigators receive the autopsy and toxicology results, which typically takes several days or longer,” a state police spokesman said.