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Contested death (2000 to present)

Evan Lyndell Parker

OpenJan 25, 2019 · Age 34 · Hempstead, TX

What happened

Evan Lyndell Parker, 34, was being held in the Waller County Jail in Texas in January 2019. Early on Jan. 25, jail staff found him hanging in his cell. He was taken to a Houston hospital, where he was pronounced dead two days later, on Jan. 27, according to KHOU and NewsOne.

The Waller County District Attorney's Office called it an apparent suicide attempt and said it had no information that jail staff failed to follow procedures. At the sheriff's request, the FBI and the Texas Rangers were asked to lead the investigation, and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards also reviewed it. Coverage centered on the fact that this was the same jail where Sandra Bland died in 2015. About a month earlier, the Houston Chronicle had reported that a December 2018 inspection found jailers running well behind on required face-to-face checks.

The sheriff said the outside investigations and autopsy results were pending. No final ruling on cause or manner of death has turned up in the coverage reviewed, and no public statement from Evan's family was found. The case is listed as open.

The case

Where found
His cell in the Waller County Jail
Official finding
No final cause or manner of death located. The Waller County District Attorney's Office called it an apparent suicide attempt; the sheriff said autopsy results were pending.
Investigation
At the sheriff's request, the FBI and the Texas Rangers were asked to lead the investigation (Waller County DA statement, per KHOU and The Root). KHOU and NewsOne report the Texas Commission on Jail Standards was also reviewing it.
Family position
Not publicly stated in the coverage reviewed.
Public evidence
The Houston Chronicle, as cited by The Root and NewsOne, reported that a December 2018 inspection found the jail's face-to-face checks running well past required intervals, about a month before his death.
Federal review
FBI asked to co-lead the investigation with the Texas Rangers. No federal finding located.
Last verified
2026-11-14
Verification note: He was found Jan. 25, 2019, and pronounced dead at a Houston hospital on Jan. 27 (KHOU, NewsOne). The district attorney's statement, issued before his death, described him as alive. Sources identify the Waller County Jail, which is in Hempstead.

Sources

Record history

  1. Nov 14, 2026 · Reviewed update
    Record updated
    • Verification note: He was found Jan. 25, 2019, and pronounced dead at a Houston hospital on Jan. 27 (KHOU, NewsOne). The district attorney's statement, issued before his death, described him as alive. Sources identify the Waller County Jail, which is in Hempstead.
  2. Nov 14, 2026 · Reviewed update
    Case added
    • Name: Evan Lyndell Parker
    • Age: 34
    • Date found: 2019-01-25
    • City or county: Hempstead
    • State: TX
    • What happened updated
    • What happened sources updated
    • Where found: His cell in the Waller County Jail
    • Official finding: No final cause or manner of death located. The Waller County District Attorney's Office called it an apparent suicide attempt; the sheriff said autopsy results were pending.
    • Investigation: At the sheriff's request, the FBI and the Texas Rangers were asked to lead the investigation (Waller County DA statement, per KHOU and The Root). KHOU and NewsOne report the Texas Commission on Jail Standards was also reviewing it.
    • Family position: Not publicly stated in the coverage reviewed.
    • Public evidence: The Houston Chronicle, as cited by The Root and NewsOne, reported that a December 2018 inspection found the jail's face-to-face checks running well past required intervals, about a month before his death.
    • Federal review: FBI asked to co-lead the investigation with the Texas Rangers. No federal finding located.
    • Verification note: Found Jan 25, 2019, and pronounced dead at a Houston hospital Jan 27 (KHOU, NewsOne). The Root notes the DA's statement described him as alive at the time it was issued. Race is from The Root's headline. Sources say 'Waller County Jail' without naming Hempstead, the county seat where the jail sits; confirm city before publishing.
    • Sources updated