HOUSTON – Monday marks one year since Ramon Thomas died in the in the custody of Harris County as an inmate. On the first anniversary of his death, his mother, Dianne Bailey Rijsenburg took her frustrations outside the jail to speak on what she says was her son’s murder.
The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office reported Thomas died from a heart issue. When his mother showed KPRC 2 what she said were pictures of him at his funeral, it appeared his face was swollen, cut and bruised with broken teeth. Rijsenburg says it’s a clear indication of what really happened.
“No more. No more, no more jail for the mentally ill,” Rijsenburg shouted through a microphone.
She says she’s been on a heart wrenching quest for answers after Thomas who suffered from serious mental illness, died in Harris County Jail custody on July 1st of last year. She said in April 2023 she called 911 to get him help medically for a mental health episode, but police showed up.
“She (the officer) said she looked in the system and saw a warrant for him. It was a warrant to go for a program that they have but he didn’t go,” she said.
Thomas was taken to the Harris County Jail Instead. A few months later he was dead.
“I just heard that he get a medical emergency. He has a medical emergency, he called me the morning before, and he was healthy. Talking great and everything,” Rijsenburg said.
The medical examiners report Rijsenburg says she had to wait some eight months to get shows Thomas’ primary cause of death as cardiac hypertrophy, which is when parts of the heart thicken.
“He wasn’t sick. As a matter of fact, he’s never been sick,” Rijsenburg said.
She adds results from an independent autopsy don’t support Harris County’s findings.
“Everything is very questionable. Two reports, same person, and doesn’t add up,” she said.
Rijsenburg says she can’t go into details of the independent autopsy because of legal proceedings. We reached out to the HCSO and were referred to DPS and the Institute of Forensic Sciences for answers.
On Tuesday, DPS provided the following response:
At the request of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Rangers (DPS) initiated an investigation into an in-custody death that occurred at the Harris County jail on July 1, 2023. The request to conduct the investigation is standard procedure for in-custody deaths.
Once completed, the investigation will be given to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Any further inquiries should be directed to the Sheriff’s or DA’s offices.