Daryl Flood, 36, of Menifee, Died In-Custody at Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta
MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA (September 30, 2025) – A 36-year-old man identified as Daryl Flood has tragically died in custody at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Riverside County.
Riverside County officials are saying that the incident took place around 3:22 AM on August 17. Deputies noticed that Daryl Flood was in medical distress inside of his booking cell.
Correctional staff and jail medical staff began providing emergency assistance. He was transported to the Loma Linda University Medical Center. Unfortunately, his condition continued to decline at the hospital.
Despite life-saving measures, Daryl Flood was pronounced dead at the hospital. A full investigation into the in-custody death remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for Riverside County Jail Deaths
Law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities have a legal duty to adequately care for all of the people that they incarcerate. Among other things, every inmate has a legal right to receive reasonably adequate medical care. Failing to provide inmates with medical care is considered a form of cruel and unusual punishment and therefore unconstitutional. In particular, jails can be liable for inmate deaths and injuries that are the result of deliberate indifference to serious medical needs. Several factors could contribute to inmates receiving inadequate care.
- Overcrowding: Many of the jails across California are severely overcrowded. This can impact the level of care that all inmates receive.
- Staffing Shortages: In addition to overcrowding, it is fairly common for jails to be understaffed. It can be stressful to work in a jail. The turnover rates are quite high.
- Jail Priorities: Jails often have tight budgets. Many facilities choose to prioritize security over medical care.
- Poor Training: The staff within a jail may not be properly trained for all of the scenarios they are likely to encounter.
Every inmate has different medical needs. One of the first things that jail staff should do when an inmate is admitted is to provide them with a thorough medical screening. This can help uncover serious medical conditions that inmates have. Some inmates will enter jails on the verge of an overdose. If timely care is not provided in these settings, inmates can easily die. One of the major issues with jails across California is that many illicit drugs and substances are smuggled inside these facilities.
Steps to Take After Riverside County Inmate Deaths
Riverside County has a fairly poor track record in terms of the care that inmates have been given. According to Cal Matters, “Jail time or arrests became death sentences for 442 people who died in custody in the Inland Empire from 2011 to 2022, a criminal justice nonprofit found. That includes 216 deaths in custody in San Bernardino County and 226 deaths in Riverside County, according to Inland Empire Lives Lost, a report released in early October by Care First California.” It is important that certain steps are taken after any inmate death.
- Medical Records: All medical records related to the death should be reviewed. This includes autopsy reports and medical records from the day leading up to the death.
- Jail Records: All of the jail records related to the deceased inmate should be collected. These can help reveal what may have contributed to any death.
- Surveillance Footage: Jails are equipped with many surveillance cameras. Any type of surveillance footage can be enormously useful in demonstrating liability for an in-custody death.
- Civil Rights Review: The family of any person who died in a jail should seek the guidance of someone experienced with civil rights law.
Jail deaths are often highly preventable. They tend to be the result of systemic failures in a jail setting, as opposed to the wrongful actions of a single person. Jails are often quick to claim that any death that took place was “natural” and thus unavoidable. But this designation can be highly misleading. Many supposedly natural deaths in a jail setting involved inmates that were not receiving adequate medical care.
Investigating Riverside County Jail Deaths
We at Carrazco Law extend our deepest condolences to the family of Daryl Flood. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other tragedies like this. There are a number of questions that still need to be answered. Did this man undergo a proper medical screening? What was their medical condition upon entering the jail? Did they receive adequate care leading up to the time they went into medical distress?
Do you need more information about a Riverside County inmate death? Our team of civil rights investigators is here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that all people in California are aware of their constitutional rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need more information about any particular incident, we are here to support you. You can reach out to us anytime at (800) 541-3244.
