Another Death at Milwaukee County Jail

Milwaukee County Jail. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

A 34-year old man named Melvin Goodwin died at the Milwaukee County Jail Friday, Sept. 12.

Goodwin was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Milwaukee County Office of the Medical Examiner. He is the third person to die in the custody of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) this year.

Goodwin was in custody facing first charges of first-degree attempted homicide and felony possession of a firearm for a shooting on a Milwaukee County Transit System bus in 2023. He was also charged with fleeing police, endangering safety and possession of cocaine following the shooting.

The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department reported to local media Friday that Goodwin received live-saving measures after he was discovered by jail staff, including the deployment of Narcan, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses. Narcan was also deployed for the other two men that died at the jail or in MCSO custody

In March, Joseph Boivin, 48, died while in MCSO custody after being transported to Froedtert Hospital. In May, Gabriel Muniz-Jimenez, 33, died while in-custody at the jail.

The actual cause of death for both men is not publicly known at this time. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner‘s Office told Urban Milwaukee in July the cause of death findings for both men are subject to “non-disclosure.” A representative of the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office told Urban Milwaukee at that time that both cases are still being investigated.

In July, the MCSO went to the Milwaukee County Board seeking funding for a new body scanner and additional drug dog in an effort to clamp down on narcotics being smuggled into the facility.

New synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, are posing a problem for the jail because they are much easier to disguise and smuggle into a secure facility. The drugs can be liquified and put on a small piece of paper, making them very difficult to detect.