Contested death (2000 to present)

Sandra Bland

Ruled suicide, disputedJul 13, 2015 · Age 28 · Waller County, TX

Who Sandra was

Sandra Annette Bland was born February 7, 1987, in Naperville, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. She was one of five daughters raised by a single mother, and her family called her "Sandy B." She grew up at DuPage African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lisle, where she became active at about age ten. Around the same age she began playing the trombone.

She graduated from Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois, in 2005. She earned a marching band scholarship to Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black university in Texas, and was the only one of her sisters to attend college out of state. At Prairie View she studied in the College of Agriculture, played trombone in the marching band, joined Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, worked three summers as a 4-H camp counselor in Huntsville, Texas, and volunteered with a senior citizens advocacy group. She graduated with an agriculture degree in 2009.

After college she returned to Illinois, where she worked temp jobs and in administration for a food-service equipment supplier. In January 2015 she began posting videos on social media under the title "Sandy Speaks," speaking about racism, inequality and police treatment of Black Americans. In July 2015 she was hired for an outreach job at Prairie View A&M and was preparing to start.

Her sister Sharon Cooper has described her as intelligent, a lover of books and cooking, and an aunt who loved spending time with her nieces and nephews. Her mother is Geneva Reed-Veal. A road near the Prairie View campus is now named Sandra Bland Parkway.

In the words of those who knew them

“Sandy was very intelligent.”Her sister, Sharon Cooper · source
“She loved spending time with her nieces and nephews.”Her sister, Sharon Cooper · source
“She was a cousin, she was a friend, and she was a very loved person.”Her sister, Sharon Cooper · source
“She was a vibrant girl from Illinois that had so much to live for”Her sister, Sharon Cooper · source
“Today is a day of healing and remembering my sister”Her sister, Shante Needham · source
“She was in good spirits. She was looking forward to what was next”LaVaughn Mosley, friend and mentor (AP) · source
“not a tragedy or a travesty, but a testimony”Her mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, at the funeral (partial quote as printed) · source

What happened

Sandra Bland, 28, a former Naperville, Illinois, resident, was moving to Texas to start a new job at her alma mater when a state trooper stopped her in Waller County on July 10, 2015, for failing to signal a lane change. The stop escalated into a physical struggle, and she was taken to the Waller County Jail. On July 13, three days later, she was found dead in her cell.

Within about 10 days, Waller County prosecutors announced that a medical examiner had ruled her death a suicide and that the autopsy found no evidence of a violent struggle. Her family rejected that conclusion. Her mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said she was confident Sandra would not take her own life, and family attorney Cannon Lambert said she hadn't been acting suicidal. The Texas Rangers and the FBI investigated.

On Aug. 4, 2015, Reed-Veal filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the trooper, two jailers, Waller County and the Department of Public Safety. In December 2015 a grand jury declined to indict anyone in connection with Sandra's death. In January 2016 a grand jury indicted the trooper on a misdemeanor perjury charge over his account of the stop. In September 2016 the family settled the lawsuit for $1.9 million, with Waller County agreeing to jail policy changes, including electronic cell checks and an on-duty nurse or EMT on every shift. The county denied any wrongdoing. The suicide ruling stands.

The case

Where found: Her cell at the Waller County Jail, three days after a traffic-stop arrest
Official finding: Suicide (medical examiner's ruling, announced by Waller County prosecutors in July 2015)
Time to finding: About 10 days
Investigation: The Texas Rangers and the FBI investigated, per the Texas Tribune. The Texas Department of Public Safety found the arresting trooper violated its courtesy policy. In December 2015 a Waller County grand jury declined to indict anyone in connection with her death. In January 2016 a Waller County grand jury indicted the trooper who arrested her on a misdemeanor perjury charge, finding evidence he lied about the circumstances under which she left her car; he pleaded not guilty.
Family position: Her family disputes that she died by suicide. Her mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said in August 2015: "I am still confident in the fact that she knew enough about Jesus that she would not take herself out." Family attorney Cannon Lambert said she hadn't been acting suicidal. In December 2015 Reed-Veal said, "I simply can't have faith in a system that's not inclusive of my family."
Public evidence: The Texas Department of Public Safety released dashcam video of the July 10, 2015 traffic stop, which drew criticism over irregularities; DPS said they were a technical glitch and the video wasn't edited. Waller County released jail intake documents that contained inconsistencies, per CBS. Prosecutors said the autopsy found no evidence of a violent struggle. The family commissioned a private autopsy whose results weren't released, per ABC7.
Federal review: The FBI investigated alongside the Texas Rangers. No federal charges were reported.
Last verified: 2026-11-14

Verification note: The 2016 settlement was announced by attorney Cannon Lambert, according to the Texas Tribune, and by attorney Tom Rhodes, according to NPR.

Sources

Record history

Nov 14, 2026 · Reviewed update
Record updated
- Verification note: The 2016 settlement was announced by attorney Cannon Lambert, according to the Texas Tribune, and by attorney Tom Rhodes, according to NPR.
Oct 23, 2026 · Reviewed update
Record updated
- Life updated
- Remembered updated
- Life sources updated
Oct 21, 2026 · Reviewed update
Case added
- Name: Sandra Bland
- Age: 28
- Date found: 2015-07-13
- City or county: Waller County
- State: TX
- Status: Ruled suicide, disputed
- What happened updated
- What happened sources updated
- Where found: Her cell at the Waller County Jail, three days after a traffic-stop arrest
- Official finding: Suicide (medical examiner's ruling, announced by Waller County prosecutors in July 2015)
- Time to finding: About 10 days
- Investigation: The Texas Rangers and the FBI investigated, per the Texas Tribune. The Texas Department of Public Safety found the arresting trooper violated its courtesy policy. In December 2015 a Waller County grand jury declined to indict anyone in connection with her death. In January 2016 a Waller County grand jury indicted the trooper who arrested her on a misdemeanor perjury charge, finding evidence he lied about the circumstances under which she left her car; he pleaded not guilty.
- Family position: Her family disputes that she died by suicide. Her mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said in August 2015: "I am still confident in the fact that she knew enough about Jesus that she would not take herself out." Family attorney Cannon Lambert said she hadn't been acting suicidal. In December 2015 Reed-Veal said, "I simply can't have faith in a system that's not inclusive of my family."
- Public evidence: The Texas Department of Public Safety released dashcam video of the July 10, 2015 traffic stop, which drew criticism over irregularities; DPS said they were a technical glitch and the video wasn't edited. Waller County released jail intake documents that contained inconsistencies, per CBS. Prosecutors said the autopsy found no evidence of a violent struggle. The family commissioned a private autopsy whose results weren't released, per ABC7.
- Federal review: The FBI investigated alongside the Texas Rangers. No federal charges were reported.
- Verification note: This is an in-custody death, unlike most records here. Reviewer should confirm it fits the record's scope. The 2016 settlement was announced by attorney Cannon Lambert per the Texas Tribune and by attorney Tom Rhodes per NPR. The 2017 outcome of the perjury charge wasn't verified this run because the source didn't load.
- Sources updated