A grand jury determined Wednesday that there was no criminal conduct involved in the death of a Dodge County inmate in November.
Ethan C. Knoell was arrested Nov. 16 by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office for domestic assault, resisting arrest, terroristic threats, false imprisonment, child neglect and obstructing justice.
Knoell, 26, was later found unresponsive in his jail cell. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center where he was pronounced dead the next day.
Under the supervision of District Court Judge Geoffrey C. Hall, the grand jury convened on Wednesday. On the same day, special prosecutor Gail VerMaas began presenting evidence regarding the death.
The grand jury completed its deliberations and concluded that there had been no criminal conduct on the part of any individual as to the death of Knoell. The panel returned what is called a “No True Bill” and issued a grand jury report containing their findings and recommendations.
Hall has signed an order discharging the grand jury and releasing its members from further service.
In Nebraska, a grand jury must be called when an individual has died while being apprehended by or while in the custody of a law enforcement officer or detention personnel. In these cases, the purpose of the grand jury is to investigate the death to determine if formal charges should be made against any person for committing a crime in connection with the death.
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