Daniel Schlienz in 2003, when he was pursuing his dream of being a professional boxer.
Investigations of the courthouse shooting on December 15, 2011 and the circumstances of the death of the man charged with the crime continue. Daniel Schlienz, 42, incarcerated at the St. Louis County jail since being arraigned and charged with two counts of premeditated attempted first-degree murder, died at Essentia – St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth on December 27, 2011.
Although St. Louis County Sheriff Ross Litman said his staff at the St. Louis County Jail followed proper procedures during the intake and incarceration of Schlienz, Daniel Schlienz’s family is not so sure.
Whether or not the jail acted appropriately, the Schlienz family is struggling with the loss of their son, brother, and uncle. Schlienz’s sister, Bev Wolke, said that although the St. Louis County Sheriff ’s Office said family was present with Schlienz when he died, that was not the case.
“Dan died between 1:00 or 2:00 a.m.,” said Wolke. “When we got there, he was gone. He was on life support.”
Sheriff says jail staff followed procedure
Sheriff Litman said physicals are not completed at the time of intake, but an assessment is done and a series of medical questions are asked. “If an inmate has an injury related to arrest or is not feeling well, they would be treated at that time,” said Litman.
Litman said it was not until several days after Schlienz arrived at the St. Louis County Jail that he appeared to have medical problems. Litman said Schlienz woke up at around 8 a.m. on December 26 and told a correctional officer that he did not feel well and asked for medical attention.
Litman said that there are policies in place for any inmate in physical distress and actions that must be followed. “He complained of flu-like symptoms,” said Litman, adding that because of detention and medical data privacy restrictions, he could not go into detail about just what those symptoms were.
Litman said Schlienz was seen by a nurse at 11:15 a.m. and was treated for the flu-like symptoms.
Litman said jail staff conducts well-being checks of all prisoners every half hour. On one of those checks, it was noted that Schlienz’s condition had worsened and at about 7:30 p.m. on December 26, it was determined that he should be taken to the hospital. Litman said that at that time Schlienz was “conscious and alert.” Litman said he had not asked for help.
The Schlienz family has stated that on December 24 they asked that Daniel Schlienz receive medical attention.
Litman repeated that the jail had no request for medical attention or documented complaints before December 26 when Schlienz was initially treated. He added, “The staff listens to the family. But if an inmate has a cough or flu symptoms, they are treated for that. We have approximately 170 inmates in our facility—a good number of which present symptoms and aren’t feeling well.”
Sheriff Litman said there are no plans for further investigation into Schlienz’s treatment while incarcerated at St. Louis County Jail. “Although the inmate was in our custody, he did not die in our custody,” said Litman, adding that there are reports that must be made in any case.
Litman said an internal review had been conducted. “We looked at all the documentation. We determined that everything we did was done properly in the jail management system. I could have my own office investigated, but none of these circumstances or facts warrant that,” he said.
“I think we acted appropriately. We did everything we could do, what we should have done,” said Litman.
Initial autopsy inconclusive
An autopsy was conducted on December 27, however St. Louis County’s Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Tom Uncini ruled the cause and manner of death as “undetermined” at this time, pending additional lab tests that could take several weeks to complete.
Schlienz’s sister, Bev Wolke, said the family is considering a second, independent autopsy, but is waiting to hear what the additional lab test results find. She said there are just too many questions about the circumstances of her brother’s death. The family is talking to an attorney to try to find answers.
Wolke said the family does not understand how Daniel Schlienz, who was in good health before being taken into police custody, could become fatally ill without anyone noticing. Asked about reports that her brother had health issues related to an accident years ago, Wolke replied, “Yes, he lost his spleen and he had a partial pancreas. But that was 30 years ago. He was a professional boxer after that. He was in good health.”
BCA continues shooting investigation
Although Schlienz died on December 27, the investigation of the shooting incident at the Cook County courthouse on Dec. 15 continues, according to Jill Oliveira, public affairs officer for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Oliveira said the death of a suspect does not impact the BCA’s investigation of the incident.
“We’re tasked with completing the investigation,” said Oliveira, “and we are getting pretty close. We expect to present the results to the Attorney General’s office in the next few weeks.”
“What we do doesn’t change, but what the Attorney General’s office does with the results obviously will change,” said Oliveira.
Schlienz was accused of shooting two people—Cook County Attorney Tim Scannell, 45, and Greg Thompson, 53, both of Grand Marais—at the Cook County courthouse on Dec. 15, minutes after the conclusion of Schlienz’s trial on charges of criminal sexual conduct. Both men survived multiple gunshot wounds and are recovering now at home.
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