Executive Summary
- The estate of Spencer Wirth is suing Spokane County, NaphCare, and MultiCare Deaconess Hospital for wrongful death.
- The lawsuit alleges medical staff missed signs of a pulmonary embolism and assumed the inmate was withdrawing from drugs.
- Court filings claim deputies muted Wirth’s emergency cell alarm to watch a video on a phone while he was dying.
- The litigation follows a previous $27 million settlement involving NaphCare for a separate inmate death at the same facility.
The estate of Spencer Wirth has filed a federal civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit against Spokane County, jail medical contractor NaphCare, and MultiCare Deaconess Hospital following the inmate’s death in custody in December 2023. The 37-page complaint, filed Monday in U.S. District Court by Wirth’s mother, Jennifer Otieno Owino, alleges that systemic medical negligence and failure to respond to emergency alarms precipitated the 26-year-old’s death.
According to court documents, Wirth was arrested on outstanding warrants shortly after being struck by a vehicle. The lawsuit states that despite complaints of falling and instability, arresting officers transported him to the jail rather than an emergency room. A jail nurse subsequently referred him to MultiCare Deaconess Hospital for evaluation. The plaintiffs allege that hospital staff discharged Wirth back to law enforcement custody with a diagnosis of “medical clearance,” allegedly failing to test for pulmonary embolism despite clinical signs, and instead attributing his condition to substance use.
Upon his return to the Spokane County Jail’s medical unit, known as 2-West, Wirth’s condition reportedly deteriorated. The complaint asserts that NaphCare staff failed to follow discharge instructions regarding his elevated heart rate. On December 4, Wirth collapsed in his cell. The lawsuit alleges that Deputy Matthew Farmer conducted a security round of the unit in under one minute, failing to properly verify Wirth’s responsiveness.
The filing includes detailed allegations regarding the moments leading to Wirth’s death. According to the complaint, Wirth activated his cell’s emergency alarm at 5:45 p.m. The lawsuit claims that deputies muted the alarm while watching a video on a mobile phone, rather than immediately responding. Approximately five minutes later, Deputy Mark Sprecher reportedly entered the cell to find Wirth unconscious. He was transported to a hospital where he died of pulmonary emboli shortly thereafter.
This litigation arises amidst broader scrutiny of NaphCare’s operations in the region. The filing notes that Spokane County previously paid a $27 million settlement regarding the 2018 death of Cindy Lou Hill, another inmate under NaphCare’s supervision. Following these incidents and associated litigation costs, county commissioners have moved to select a new medical provider.
Judicial Review and Liability Standards
This lawsuit underscores the significant legal challenges facing correctional facilities regarding the constitutional standard of care provided to inmates. The litigation will likely center on the concept of “deliberate indifference” to serious medical needs, a high legal bar required to establish Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment violations in federal court. Scrutiny regarding the privatization of jail healthcare continues to be a focal point in civil rights jurisprudence. It is important to note that this is a civil complaint; the defendants have not been found liable, and regarding any criminal accusations referenced in the background of the arrest, all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
