Update - Death Investigation
May 15, 2026 – San Diego County Sheriff’s Office officials are releasing the cause and manner of death of a 
55‑year‑old man, Eugene Rodman Smith, who was in custody at the San Diego Central Jail and died at a local hospital. San Diego County Sheriff’s Homicide investigators responded to the hospital after being notified of Mr. Smith’s passing.
On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at around 11:55 p.m., Sheriff’s Deputies at the San Diego Central Jail were performing their routine duties when they discovered Mr. Smith unresponsive inside a holding cell. He was alone in the cell. Deputies immediately activated 9‑1‑1, requested assistance from the facility’s medical staff, and began lifesaving measures.
Paramedics and the San Diego Fire Department assumed lifesaving efforts upon their arrival, and Mr. Smith was transported to a local hospital. Despite their efforts, Mr. Smith was pronounced deceased at the hospital on October 2, 2025, at about 1:15 a.m.
The Medical Examiner’s Office has completed an autopsy of Mr. Smith and determined the cause of death to be acute peritonitis due to chronic pancreatitis with a ruptured pancreatic pseudocyst. Hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and alcohol use disorder were cited as contributing factors. The manner of death was classified as natural.
Mr. Smith, a resident of the City of San Diego, had been in Sheriff’s custody since September 29, 2025, for public intoxication.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office extends its sympathies to the Smith family and all those affected by his passing. A Sheriff’s Family Liaison Officer will continue to support the family during this difficult time.
The Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) was notified regarding the incident. As is the protocol for all in-custody deaths, the Sheriff's Homicide Unit responded and is conducting a thorough investigation to ensure all aspects of this incident are examined.
Source: San Diego County Sheriff’s Office
