Investigation underway after woman, 21, dies at Washington County jail

A 21-year-old woman died at the Washington County jail early last Friday, and authorities are investigating it as a suicide, according to a county spokesperson.

Justice Jean Heinrichs, a Stillwater Area High School 2020 graduate, was found unresponsive and not breathing in her cell at 12:40 a.m. Friday, according to a county statement. Jail staff performed life-saving measures until the Lakeview Hospital EMS and Stillwater Fire Department arrived and took over, without success. Heinrichs was pronounced dead at the scene.

Heinrichs was arrested Dec. 18 by Roseville police on a Washington County warrant and a new auto theft charge, according to Ramsey County Sheriff's Office spokesman Steve Linders. After booking at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center, she was released to Washington County and booked into jail on Dec. 20. She had been on probation for a 2021 fifth-degree drug possession charge.

Her death is under investigation by the Dakota County Sheriff's Office and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner. It's standard practice for an outside agency to investigate an in-jail death to prevent any conflicts of interest.

Heinrichs was the daughter of Destine Fobbs and Karl Heinrichs. Her father is well-known as a Minnesota Vikings fan who attends games as "Sir Death," donning a signature horned helmet and going shirtless to show his elaborate body tattoos. The Heinrichs family could not be reached Wednesday.

"This was a devastating event to all of us who have known Justice since she was a little girl. The family is inconsolable at her passing," Paul Anderson of Melbourne, Fla., wrote on an online fundraising site.

Families can find mental health information and resources for crisis care on NAMI Minnesota's website, namimn.org. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Text Line counselor.