Investigation Into Inmate's Death At Oklahoma County Jail Continues

News 9 has learned the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s office is investigating the death of an inmate who was booked in for a nonviolent offense back in January.

The police report states Michael Lee Kennedy was arrested by Midwest City Police on January 8th of this year, for obtaining money or property under false pretense. He was booked into the Midwest City Jail but transferred to Oklahoma County. Less than 24 hours later Kennedy was rushed to St. Anthony hospital after a detention officer found him unconscious on the floor.

“Was that cell mate so asleep from 3 a.m. to whenever, that he didn't notice his cell mate (Kennedy) had collapsed and was on the floor unconscious,” said  Vickie Kennedy Sgrio, who is Kennedy’s sister.

Sgroi says at first, the jail called to say her brother had had a seizure but was doing okay. She said then she got a call he was pacing and acting manic. The next call she got was to tell her that her brother was on the way to the hospital.

All Sgroi wants to know is what happened inside her brother's jail cell the night he was booked in.

“I believe he was murdered here at the jail,” said Sgroi.

The Medical Examiner’s completed report states Kennedy’s death was ruled an accident. But his sister said there's no way that's true. And she wonders if any of the other inmates who were in the cell with him may have hurt him while he was there.

“I know that he (Kennedy) would have never attacked anybody,” said Sgroi. “And I just know that his injuries could not have been the result of what they are saying that it is.”

The Medical Examiner's report states Kennedy fell and struck the back of his head on the floor of his cell after reported seizure-like activity. The ME doctor ruled Kennedy's cause of death was blunt force head trauma consistent with a fall and labeled the manner of death as an accident.

But Sgroi says the surgeon who worked on her brother at the hospital disputes that finding.

“When the surgeon came out after surgery he said there was no way that the injuries he sustained could have been by a fall,” said Sgroi. “He would have had to have fallen from a great distance. I want some answers. He left behind two children, a 16-year-old and 14-year-old. He was my mother’s life, he was my big brother – and our life is forever changed without him here.”

Now, Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has requested an independent investigation into this suspicious death, and has requested the assistance of the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations.

The OSBI confirms they are investigating, but that it is a partial investigation and that they were waiting for the ME Report.

A spokesperson for the OSBI confirms now that they have the Medical Examiner’s report, they will hand over their findings to the DA’s office to determine what if any charges will be filed.

Kennedy’s family just wants the jail to hand over any video that could help shed light on what happened to Kennedy, and plans to contact the DA’s office about what the surgeon told them at the hospital.