Jackson County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday that after a thorough review of the evidence collected by the Jackson County Major Assault and Death Investigations unit (MADIU), led in this case by the Medford Police
Department, that no criminal charges will be filed concerning the in-custody death of Sabrina Renee Decker (DOB 06/29/88).
It was determined Ms. Decker died from a witnessed cardiac arrest while exhibiting seizure-like activity, history of seizure disorder, possible sudden death in epilepsy versus cardiac arrhythmia from chronic opiate abuse. Ms. Decker also had therapeutic level of Fentanyl in her system at the time of her death.
On November 13, 2022, at approximately 10:14 pm, ECSO Dispatch received a call from the jail requesting Mercy Flights and Medford Fire respond to the jail for a possible overdose. At 10:02 pm, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Jail Deputy observed vomit in the cell housing Ms. Decker and two other adults in custody (AIC). The deputy moved the two AICs out of the cell, and placed Ms. Decker on a bench near the holding cell. During this time, the deputy communicated with Ms. Decker regarding whether she was receiving detox medication, and Ms. Decker told the deputy that she had not had any medication since the prior evening. Ms. Decker was left on the bench while the deputy was arranging a cleaning crew for the cell. When the deputy came back to Ms. Decker she was leaning back on the bench with her hands clenched into fists. The jail staff at this time decided Ms. Decker needed to be transported to the hospital, and the call to dispatch was made. When the call was being made, the deputies with Ms. Decker lowered her to the ground and laid her on a mat. At this time, Ms. Decker still had a pulse and was breathing. The deputies requested someone to bring an AED down just in case, and two doses of Narcan were given at 10:14 pm. The doses did not change Ms. Decker’s condition. Chest compressions were started on Ms. Decker. At 10:16 pm, another dose of Narcan was given with no results and chest compressions continued along with the use of AED. These life saving measures were continued by jail staff until taken over by Medford Fire, who arrived at 10:20 pm, and Mercy Flights, who arrived at 10:23 pm. Ms. Decker was pronounced deceased on scene at 10:45 pm.
MADIU was activated due to Ms. Decker dying in custody at the Jackson County Jail.
MADIU’s investigation included reviewing video footage, reports and interviewing individuals who had contact with Ms. Decker from the time she was lodged in the Jackson County Jail until her untimely death on November 13, 2022. Ms. Decker was arrested and lodged in jail by the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE) on November 4, 2022, when she was found to have in her possession an ounce of Fentanyl. She was processed and searched like every other individual entering the Jackson County Jail. Review of the video evidence from November 4, 2022, shows Ms. Decker crushing pills on the floor of her cell with a spoon and also having a baggie of pills. The pills appeared after she went to the bathroom area of the cell, which is blacked out in the surveillance system.
While Sabrina Decker was in custody, a confidential, reliable informant told police that they had seen her in possession of Fentanyl while in the facility. On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, Detectives from MADGE interviewed Sabrina Decker and she admitted to concealing Fentanyl in her vagina at the time of her arrest and she still had some Fentanyl. That Fentanyl was turned over to the police.
Source: JaCo DA
