On March 29, 2023, Kayla McGavran was taken into custody after reporting during a drug court medical intake that she had used methamphetamine three days earlier. About a week later, she was housed as a regular inmate. On April 5, around 4:40 PM Corrections Officer Volden heard a crash and found Kayla having a seizure in her cell. Jail medical staff responded and moved her to the medical unit.
Roughly an hour later, Kayla told C.O. Lisney she had taken drugs obtained from another inmate. After Lisney left, Lieutenant Kirby and Sergeant Cox questioned her further, and she said she had been taking what she believed was cocaine twice daily since entering jail, adding that it was the last thing she remembered before blacking out.
At 7:19 PM Kayla told Yoder there was still cocaine in her shirt pocket. Yoder left to get her a new shirt, but upon returning found Kayla unresponsive. Medical staff, Rockford Fire, and EMS responded, and Kayla was taken to Swedish American Hospital, where she tested positive for fentanyl and cocaine and the substance in her pocket tested positive for cocaine. She was released back to the jail that same night and placed again in the medical unit.
She slept through the night, waking occasionally, and around 7 AM was let out into the pod for about an hour. At 8:01 AM she was returned to her cell, where she wrapped herself in a blanket. At 9:17 AM she was seen lying on a mattress shaking uncontrollably until 9:23 AM after which she sat up and began reading. Between roughly 9:15 AM and 10:16 AM she experienced repeated periods of uncontrollable shaking followed by stillness. During rounds, Corrections Officer Vurnonas noticed her motionless and called for medics. Jail nurses and EMTs responded, but after being transported to Swedish American Hospital, Kayla was pronounced dead.
Her death was at least the seventh in the Winnebago County Jail since 2022 and was the 36th case investigated and deemed justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force.