LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Nevada family is challenging the Clark County Coroner's Office findings after their son was allegedly beaten to death by guards at High Desert State Prison.
Christian Walker was serving a lifetime sentence for the Feb. 14, 2000, murder of his 17-year-old girlfriend in 1997.
Court records state Walker spent the majority of his sentence at Southern Desert Correctional Center, which is where the first beating happened on April 11, 2023.
According to court records, guards were escorting Walker from the infirmary to his unit after "he refused to receive medical treatment." The records didn't state why he needed medical treatment at the time. Walker then stopped and told officers he left his ID in the infirmary and needed to retrieve it. Officers said they would take Walker to his unit and then go back for the ID.
Walker did not follow officers' command and then "successfully broke free of the officers' hold and started to run towards the infirmary." Officers deployed a chemical agent and Walker fell as he was running away. Officers placed him in restraints, he "became compliant and all force ceased." He was medically cleared and then transferred to High Desert State Prison.
Two days after that incident, court records say Walker needed to go to the restroom and his restraints were removed so he could. However, court records allege Walker refused to put cuffs back on afterwards and he began walking away from officers. After he refused to follow officers' verbal commands, court records say officers deployed spray before beating Walker with batons.
Walker was taken to UMC and records showed that "he was struck by unknown objects to the head, face, right lower extremity, and right upper extremity, further claiming that he suffered lack of consciousness. Mr. Walker advised medical providers that he could not remember what occurred before he was transported."
At the time, doctors noted he had moderate brain swelling and he had to get stitches in the back of his head. He was discharged back to High Desert State Prison on the same day with a prescription to manage his pain.
Walker was taken to the infirmary, where he remained for two days. On the morning of April 15, 2023, an officer found him unresponsive and "blood and blood clots were leaking out of Mr. Walker's mouth." Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead.
He was taken to the Clark County Coroner's Office, where an autopsy was performed.
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The coroner, Dr. Stephanie Yagi, ruled his death natural due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Walker's family disputes that.
According to new records filed by attorneys from The JLU, who are representing the Walker family, state Dr. Lary Simms, a former Clark County Medical Examiner, "opines that the assigned cause of death is inaccurate, that the autopsy failed at least nine written recommendations and standards of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) governing the autopsy of a person who died in custody, and that the cause of death was cerebral edema due to multiple blunt force injuries of the head, with a manner of death of homicide."
They also claim that in Yagi's testimony, she made several statements that directly conflict with her findings.
"She testified that she was 'not aware' that CCOCME must comply with NAME investigative and autopsy standards to remain accredited, and 'not aware' that NAME publishes specific written standards for the investigation of deaths in custody," court records read in part. "She did not personally investigate the scene at the prison and asked no questions of the personnel responsible for Mr. Walker about his medical history or the circumstances of his death, and she testified that she 'did not require any investigative information' because 'I had the body in front of me' — although the coroner investigator's preliminary investigative report was provided to her at the autopsy."
Other issues that were brought include a different medical examiner signing the first death certificate even though Yagi assigned the case to herself and the Coroner's office "informed the Walker family that he had died from 'blunt force trauma'."
During her deposition, Yagi was asked how she came to her conclusion of hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
"There are multiple things that I consider when determining the cause of death. One is part of the internal examination portion of the autopsy. Mr. Walker's heart was larger than average, the ventricles were also dilated," Yagi said. "In addition, histologic examination of the heart showed abnormalities of the cardiovas — or cardiomyocytes. They're the cells of the heart, and the changes were most consistent with hypertensive cardiovascular disease."
Attorneys for Clark County argue that Dr. Yagi "acted in accordance with her duties, using her discretion to examine the most likely cause and manner of Mr. Walker's sudden and unexpected death, and determined that his death was natural," filings read in part. "She acted with discretion and in consideration of public policy, as one of the unambiguous goals and duties of state-employed coroners and medical examiners is to differentiate between sudden natural and unnatural deaths."
Clark County has filed a motion for summary judgment. We have reached out to Clark County to see if they would like to comment on the lawsuit. A spokesperson told us they don't comment on pending litigation.
"If they win, the case will be over and we will have lost against the coroner," attorney Alyssa Piraino said on Monday.
As for the guards connected to the Walker case, no charges have ever been filed.
"The Inspector General recommended charges, to their credit," attorney James Urrutia told me. "So then, we're going up to the next level, the Attorney General's Office, Criminal Prosecution Division, choosing not to press charges. The DA choosing not to press charges. You have an IG who recommended criminal charges against guards and nobody was willing to take them up."
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The State of Nevada has already agreed to pay the Walker family $4.6 million, the largest wrongful death settlement in state history. When that agreement was reached back in September, they said the family was going to keep fighting because they want to see some changes in the prison system.
On Monday, I asked them if they've seen changes since that settlement was announced.
"One of the things that has happened since the Walker case and the prison swap between Ely and High Desert is that hundreds of cameras have been put into High Desert and that's one of the biggest issues we have is just cameras," Urrutia said. "What we have found through litigation is that the guards, they know the bad apples. Again, it's not all of them. It's the bad apples. They know the procedure so well."
He said negotiations and discussions with NDOC have been productive.
"Director Dzurenda is doing his best. I really do believe that," Urrutia said. "It's just such a large problem. The culture is so ingrained. For him to come in, it's going to take a long time. Hopefully, he stays."