The 42-year-old mother of eight who died in police custody in Westchester on Monday vomited in a holding area after returning from the hospital, officials said, but a medical examiner's initial autopsy didn't reveal what caused her death and more tests are needed.
Raynette Turner was found unresponsive Monday in her cell in the Mount Vernon Police Department, where she was being held pending arraignment on shoplifting charges. She had been taken to the first-floor cell after throwing up in a second-floor court holding area hours earlier, courts spokesman David Bookstaver said.
Turner, who had eight children, according to Westchester News 12, had been arrested Saturday afternoon in Restaurant Depot, a wholesale cash and carry foodservice supplier, on Columbus Avenue. She was brought to the Mount Vernon holding facility and processed.
On Sunday, around 7:30 p.m., authorities say Turner complained of feeling ill and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Turner was treated at the hospital and released by doctors; she returned to the holding cell shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday night.
Less than 24 hours later, she was dead. She had thrown up in a court holding area Monday morning and was taken to the first-floor cell where she eventually died. Authorities say Turner was found unresponsive in the cell around 2 p.m. when authorities went to take her to a court hearing. She had last been seen conscious, sitting up in her cell, some time between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., authorities said.
Inmates at the Mount Vernon facility are continually monitored on surveillance video and police log their behavior on an hourly basis. Authorities say the last note on Turner indicated she was laying on her side and appeared to be sleeping.
Officials say nothing appeared out of the ordinary; Turner was the only one in her cell.
Turner likely died between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., officials said, though the investigation is preliminary.
Local
Police say the woman had previously undergone bariatric surgery and had a history of hypertension. They say there is no indication of foul play.
The woman's husband, Herman Turner, told Westchester News 12 he wanted answers -- and he said he wasn't getting any
"I can't get any answers from detectives, anyone," Herman Turner told the website. "She was a wife. She was a mother. She was mine.
