VAN BUREN, Ark. — A Crawford County man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and meth possession after his nephew, 26-year-old Jacob Jones, died in custody after a bag of meth ruptured inside his body in October 2022.
The charges against David Alverson came after footage was released of him and Jones handcuffed in the back of a cruiser in Van Buren on Oct. 14, 2022. Former Sheriff Jimmy Damante alleged Jones was seen ingesting a bag of illegal drugs given to him by Alverson.
Less than 24 hours after the arrest, Jones died after a bag ruptured inside his body. In October 2022, Damante said he had confirmed with the medical examiner that Jones' death was an overdose. According to a lawsuit filed by Jones' estate against Crawford County in September 2023, Jones' autopsy revealed that he had died from methamphetamine toxicity.
Jacob's mother Catherine Jones told 5NEWS in 2022 after her son's death that he and other inmates had been asking for help for five hours before Jacob received medical assistance. The lawsuit filed accuses Crawford County and employees at the detention center of not helping Jones in time after he had shown he needed medical assistance, leading to his death.
Damante said Jones was taken to a local hospital with "a slight pulse" and later died.
"They were supposed to protect him, he was supposed to be safe, and they let him die," said Catherine Jones.
In October 2022, Damante told 5NEWS that an investigation was underway internally to determine what led to Jones not receiving medical attention for hours before his death.
In addition to the manslaughter charge, another charge was against Alverson as a "habitual offender" of drug possession — someone previously convicted of four or more felonies in Arkansas. The sentences (both 15 years) will run concurrently, meaning he will serve 15 years total for both counts.
