Updated at 7:10 p.m. Dec. 14
A 33-year-old Black man recently died at a jail overseen by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the fifth death since July.
For Gail Premdas, her son's death was more than a disturbing pattern. She said Charail Premdas was a young man who struggled with mental health issues for most of his life, and he fell through the cracks.
Premdas suffered a medical emergency during breakfast on Dec. 5. “Officers observed what appeared to be a seizure suffered by Mr. Premdas, who then became unresponsive,” said spokesperson Peter Van Delft in a statement to GBH News.
Jail staff immediately began attending to Premdas and employed the use of an automated external defibrillator as part of the emergency assessment process, according to Van Delft. Emergency Medical Services also tried to resuscitate him, and transported him to Massachusetts General Hospital where he died shortly after 8 a.m.
Premdas had been held at the jail since Oct. 19 on an aggravated assault charge out of Boston Municipal Court. He was incarcerated at Suffolk County Jail, where he was being held on $500 bail until his scheduled trial next week.
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Steven Tompkins, said foul play is not suspected and an investigation into Premdas’ cause of death is being conducted. Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office has been notified.
Gail Premdas was told her son died later on Dec. 5. She found out from Massachusetts General Hospital that in November, after Charail was admitted to jail, he received in-patient care at the hospital and was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. She said the sheriff’s office did not inform her of the hospital stay or diagnosis.
“Was that true? I don't know. I'm waiting for the autopsy to come back. Did he actually have a seizure before he fell out? I don't know. He's never had seizures,” she said. "Did he get ahold of some drugs in jail? Did someone give him something? Was it the fact that his heart was too large and it was badly damaged? I don’t know."
The 71-year-old mother recently went to Nashua Steet Jail to pick up her son’s belongings. She said she was told homicide was also investigating the matter, but it was routine.
She was hoping her son’s case would be dismissed and she could have him civilly committed so that he could get the behavioral health services he needed.
His mother explained that Charail's life was not easy. Before his incarceration, he had been homeless in Boston. He had a son, and his daughter died at birth. He also struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues.
“There's not enough services for that. I can attest to that,” said Gail Premdas. “But he was kind. I would hear him, when he would call me up and then ask for people to give change. I would hear him say 'thank you.' He still had some manners about him — he was just a totally lost soul out there.”
Premdas, who works in mental health services, said her son “fell through the cracks” for years.
Charail Premdas is the latest person to die in custody at the Suffolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Rashonn Wilson, Ayesha Johnson, Edward "Jay" Isberg Jr. and Carl "Chuck" Rabouin all died at Suffolk County facilities between July and September 2021. The causes of death in those cases have not been publicly released.
According to a public records request shared on MuckRock, a service dedicated to government transparency, there were three deaths total from 2019-2020 in Suffolk County custody. There has been little information from Tompkins’ office explaining the recent uptick.
GBH News left messages with Wellpath, the medical provider for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, which were not returned.
This story was updated to include comments from Gail Premdas.
