Day two of trial to begin with opening statements for ex-sheriff’s lieutenant in jail death case
FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)
Opening statements in the jury trial of a former Cooper County Sheriff's Lieutenant charged in the death of an inmate are set to begin Wednesday morning.
Robyn Pfeiffer and Rachel Atherton are charged with involuntary manslaughter for their alleged role in the death of Brooke Bailey in the Cooper County Jail in October 2023.
The opening statements in the case against Pfeiffer will be at 9 a.m. in the Callaway County Circuit Court.
Pfeiffer was a Lieutenant at the sheriff's office and the jail supervisor when Bailey died from untreated diabetes.
Court documents say several jail workers told investigators with the Pettis County Sheriff's Office that Pfeiffer brushed off Bailey's complaints of feeling ill, saying the inmate was "playing games." Bailey was found dead on Oct. 27 in her cell with blood and vomit on the floor and on her clothing.
Co-workers also said Pfeiffer joked about the death and instructed them not to write notes so investigators would be deprived of information, according to a probable cause statement.
A medical examiner found Bailey died from diabetic ketoacidosis and low sodium levels. Bailey had told staff when she was booked that she had diabetes, along with other conditions. The probable cause statement says Bailey did not receive treatment when she complained of feeling ill and she became verbally non-responsive to jailers.
The probable cause statement states Bailey was originally supposed to spend time at the Missouri Department of Mental Health, but was staying in the Cooper County Jail until a bed became available.
