Family demands autopsy reclassification and state Investigation into Benton County jail death of Allegra Warnick
Nearly 16 months after Allegra Tiara Warnick died following a medical emergency at the Benton County Detention Center, her father has launched a renewed push for accountability, filing formal requests to amend her autopsy report and urging an independent state criminal investigation.
Michael William Warnick, acting as statutory next of kin and pro se intervenor in the ongoing federal civil rights case Estate of Allegra Warnick v. Benton County, et alsubmitted a detailed 5-page administrative appeal on May 31, 2026, to Dr. Teddi Tubre, M.D., Associate Medical Examiner at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory.
In the formal request (Lab Case No. 2025-002228 / ME Case No. 0192-25), Warnick acknowledges that the medical examiner correctly identified Alcoholic Ketoacidosis as the physiological cause of death but challenges the “Accident” manner of death classification.
“While your office correctly identified Alcoholic Ketoacidosis as the physiological cause of death, newly unsealed court records, body camera footage, and facility logs indicate her death was not an unavoidable accident,” Warnick wrote. “Instead, it resulted from significant omissions, suppression of records, and denial of emergency care beginning at her initial apprehension.”
Key Allegations Raised by the Family:
Surveillance Video Blackout: FOIA productions from Benton County counsel Thomas Kieklak allegedly omitted nearly 13 hours of continuous footage from Booking Cell 5, Cell 6, and surrounding areas. Provided files captured only 4:16–5:16 p.m. on Feb. 4 and resumed at 6:16 a.m. on Feb. 5, cutting off during active chest compressions. Jail master records show Warnick remained in custody until 7:28 a.m.
Prior Medical Knowledge: Warnick had approximately 20 prior admissions to the facility. Staff and contractor Turn Key Health Clinics allegedly had detailed records of her chronic pancreatitis and withdrawal risks but failed to follow monitoring protocols
Arrest and Intake Issues: On Feb. 4, 2025, Rogers Police responded to a welfare check at a Casey’s gas station. Despite reports of disorientation, shoeless appearance, and a “Mental Disorder” classification, she was transported directly to jail without EMS evaluation. Booking at Benton County was never fully completed.
Emergency Response Concerns: Jail Incident Report JI202500215 and Bentonville Fire Department records (Incident 25-0000675) document delayed response, missing emergency equipment (including a bag-valve-mask), and disputed claims about needle marks that the autopsy later refuted (“No needle tracks or wrist scars were present”).
Warnick’s sister, Ashton Michelle Cargile, submitted a parallel evidentiary audit to the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division on May 31, requesting an independent criminal review due to the inherent conflict of the sheriff’s office investigating its own facility. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office closed its internal case (SOC25-000362) as “Resolved” on April 8, 2025.
In a mass email sent Sunday afternoon to Arkansas newsrooms, Michael Warnick stated:
“I have just formally submitted an exhaustive, 5-page administrative appeal packet to Dr. Teddi Tubre and the State Crime Lab Review Board, carbon-copying the top leadership of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety and the State Police Criminal Investigation Division. This technical audit exposes a severe conflict in local law enforcement records… I am fully available to provide you with copies of the raw video files, file sizes, and an on-camera interview.”
Warnick also referenced ongoing probate proceedings in Crawford County (Case No. 17PR-25-146) aimed at removing the current special administrator.
The family maintains that Allegra’s strict ethical vegan diet, combined with her known medical history, made nutritional deprivation and isolation in a dry cell particularly dangerous. They argue these factors, alongside alleged lapses in care, warrant reclassification of the death and further scrutiny.
Benton County officials and the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory have not yet issued public responses to the latest requests. The federal civil rights lawsuit remains active.
You can read our previoys story on Allie's deat by clicking Unanswered Cries: The final hours of Allie Warnick and the unfolding crisis at Benton County Jail
This story is developing. Today in Fort Smith will continue to monitor proceedings at the state crime lab, Arkansas State Police, and federal court.
