Coroner's office concludes Rhyker Earl's death was natural
Nov 13, 2024
LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — The coroner's office investigating Rhyker Earl's death concluded that it was natural.
Earl, 26, died Sept. 10, two days after Jasper County deputies and emergency medical technicians were called to his DeMotte home following a series of epileptic episodes that day.
He was handcuffed during the incident and authorities put pressure on his body as their administered aid to him, according to body cam footage.
According to the Lake County Coroner's Office Wednesday, who was handling his death investigation, Earl sustained no evidence of trauma. His manner of death was ruled natural due to cardiovascular disease, cardiomegaly and witnesses cardiac arrest.
Body camera video capturing the incident from several angles was released by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at the end of September.
Rhyker Earl family: Released body camera footage doesn’t tell complete story
In total, deputies released 10 videos. Nine of the videos show the unedited footage captured by three responding deputies’ cameras, while the tenth compiles the videos together to offer a timeline of the encounter.
Jasper County Sheriff Pat Williamson refuted the claim that responding deputies restricted Earl’s breathing and said the pillow placed beneath his head was for his own protection.
Family filed a civil rights lawsuit following Earl's death.
He left behind two young children.
WGN News has reached out to his attorney, Ben Crump, for a statement.