Karen Skaggs is still waiting for answers about the death of her brother, Kevin Bailey. Right now, she’d be willing to settle for any type of acknowledgment from the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office.
Thursday, folks demanding answers about what happened to Bailey held a peaceful protest at the jail. Karen said she’d hoped someone might come out to speak to them. While she accepts that no one can talk about an investigation while it’s going on, she’d hoped someone might offer her some sympathy. “All I wanted was someone there to acknowledge me. Tell me they were sorry.”
Unexplained Death
Kevin Bailey, 56, was an inmate at the Scioto County Jail. He died from injuries suffered during an incident three weeks ago. According to a jail spokesman, Bailey attempted to run away from guards and hit his head on an open door during a scuffle.
Karen Skaggs said he suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, and a black eye. He was so severely injured that doctors told his sister the best course of action was to remove him from life support. Multiple sources have claimed that Bailey got mouthy with guards and was beaten and kicked.
The death is currently under investigation by the Ohio State Attorney Generals Office. Skaggs told me her brother’s body didn’t even arrive at the coroner’s office until last Friday. Bailey died on June 1st.
No Answers
Skaggs said the worst part of her ordeal is the deafening silence from officials. No one at the jail would even tell her what type of injuries Kevin suffered or how it happened. She told me she learned that when she read an official statement in the news.
“It seems to be getting harder everyday. This has consumed my life. I think about it every second of the day. I just need some answers. It’s been 3 weeks, they should know something by now.”
Skaggs said that she could see people at the Sheriff’s Office behind the locked doors taking video and watching the protesters.
“Say something, anyway. Don’t just stand in there and smile and talk to each other. It was like they were laughing at me. It broke my heart to stand in front of the place where my brother was killed.”
Still Waiting
Skaggs told us last week that she’d spoken to someone from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office who assured her there would be a thorough investigation. But she hasn’t heard a word since. They did send her a packet of information about their victim’s advocate program and she’s been promised a call soon.
She spoke with Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman on Monday who offered his sympathy. Tieman’s office can’t take any action until the state investigation is complete. A call with the Scioto County Jail Administrator, Captain Carter, left her shaken when he didn’t appear to even know what she was calling about.
For now, all this grieving sister can do is wait for the results of the autopsy and hope there will be justice for Kevin Bailey.
