Dylan Richardson
Note: The unhealthy conditions allowed to persist in prisons exact a devastating toll on mental and physical wellbeing. Deaths by suicide within these facilities should be treated as public health failures. The COVID-19 pandemic likely played a role in the untimely death of Dylan Richardson, a beloved community member.
Photograph of Dylan, courtesy of his family, by way of WPTA21.com.
Dylan Richardson was a devoted family member and a loving friend. His life began in Bluffton, Indiana on December 31, 1988 and was thoroughly lived through fishing, camping, culinary arts, and spending as much time as possible with his family, including his brother, Ian, and his sister, Jessica. Dylan married Ronda Skinner in 2010 who brought two wonderful children, Jyler and Journey, into the marriage. Soon after they added two new additions to the family: a son, Dylan Jr. and a daughter, Madison.
A life lived for and with his family was abruptly ended due to negligence. Due to the coronavirus a “precautionary quarantine protocol” was put in place in Wells County Jail to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For Dylan, this meant he was left to endure isolation without the proper treatment and care needed for someone who had struggled with mental health issues for quite some time. This quarantine became a breeding ground for depression and severe anxiety for Dylan and many others. Dylan's expected short stay in the facility turned into a death sentence in just a few days, and he tragically took his own life in his isolation cell on September 20, 2020. This is not the first death of its kind and, sadly, it was not the last.
Photograph of Dylan, obtained from his obituary.
Dylan was just 31 years old at the time of his passing. His mother, Rebecca, and father, Fred, have had to hold a funeral for and grieve a child lost in the hands of another, when he was beyond reach of their care. Although the circumstances surrounding his death were not directly due to another person, collective, systemic failures caused Dylan to lose his life. Friends and family have begun pouring out love for Dylan online. Angela Hockenberry says on his obituary page that “[her] heart is saddened by the loss and goes out to Ian and family.” Shari Faucher lifted up a prayer in Dylan's honor, “Bink, I have my arms around you! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, that God give you the strength you need to endure…” The love continues from his mother and brother in the form of pleas for justice. Ian Richardson says it best to WPTA when he states, “I believe the system we are working with today no longer serves people who have made mistakes.” Ian continues to explain that “mental health issues are not given proper care in society as a whole, but most importantly to those who are incarcerated.” Improper care of their charges is clearly an ongoing problem for Wells County, as Dylan’s is the second reported death this year. How many lives will it take before someone steps in and seeks a solution?
Fear of death has been a serious reality since the start of this pandemic, and there are so many fatalities that could have and should have been prevented. This is the case with Dylan Richardson. Strip away his mistakes and his condition and what remains is a human being clearly filled with love and compassion toward others. Why wasn't his life just as important as the next in the eyes of the strangers who were responsible for his care?
This memorial was written by MOL team member Sarah Cook with information from reporting by Karli VanCleave of WPTA21.com, Jake Thomas of WFFT.com, and from his obituaryfromGoodwin - Cale & Harnish Memorial Chapel. Transcribed by Cecile Ramin.
