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Chair says fatality-review report for Dec. 2022 jail death arrived two years late; board faults sheriff's office
Summary
Pacific County commissioners unanimously acknowledged an unexpected-fatality review into the Dec. 2022 in-custody death of Crystal Ringer that staff say was completed in June 2023 but only received by county administration in August 2025; the chair criticized the sheriff's office for the delay and said the county will submit the report to the state.
The Pacific County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 12 acknowledged receipt of an unexpected-fatality review into the Dec. 2022 in-custody death of Crystal Ringer and criticized the county sheriff's office for not delivering the review for more than two years.
The chair said the review was completed in June 2023 but sat in the sheriff's office until it was provided to county administration in early August 2025. "If this action had been carried out, this level of negligence ... that individual would have been fired purely for incompetence," the chair said, adding, "Sheriff Garcia continues to gaslight the public. It is entirely unacceptable. It needs to stop." The board voted to accept the report's existence and move to submit it onward as required.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the delay broke statutory expectations and increased risk to the county's liability and standing with its insurance pool. Board members repeatedly said the sheriff's office had a duty to complete and submit the review within the 120-day window set out for in-custody unexpected-fatality reviews and that the late delivery undermined public trust.
Details and procedural next steps: A motion to acknowledge receipt of the unexpected-fatality review was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote. County staff said they would submit the report to the Washington State Department of Health and other required entities "hopefully by tomorrow." In addition to noting the report's June 2023 completion date, commissioners referenced internal communications and earlier public meetings in which they questioned whether the review had been completed and submitted.
What was said and not said: Commissioners described two in-custody deaths that occurred while Sheriff Garcia was in office and said they had not received timely information from the sheriff's office. The transcript shows no direct response from Sheriff Garcia during the meeting; the board's action was limited to acknowledging the report and recording intent to forward it to state authorities.
Next step: The board's acknowledgement does not itself impose discipline; commissioners said the county will submit the review to the state and continue oversight actions as allowed by county authority. The meeting record shows the board recessed for an executive session later in the afternoon and reconvened at 3:02 p.m., announcing no decisions.
