Nevada has agreed to pay $4.6 million to settle a lawsuit alleging prison guards beat a man and left him to die at High Desert State Prison near Las Vegas in 2023, the family’s attorney said Tuesday.
The settlement, disclosed by the family's lawyer, James Urrutia, comes after litigation that his office said revealed details about the events surrounding the death of 44-year-old Christian Walker. The medical examiner ruled Walker's death was natural and caused by heart problems, but the autopsy report cited head trauma and additional injuries to the torso, neck and extremities.
Urrutia said Walker was beaten twice within a short period after being transferred from another prison, the first incident stemming from a dispute over his personal possessions. He said the family pursued the settlement rather than proceed to trial because the litigation produced information they wanted public, and because they were satisfied with the disclosures that emerged.
"There is absolutely no evidence that [Walker] had any heart disease, no issues at all with his heart," Urrutia told The Associated Press. He acknowledged the settlement amount but added, "My ego definitely doesn't feel like it's a big enough number," referring to the $4.6 million figure.
The lawsuit and the autopsy report described Walker's face as swollen and smeared with blood when he died in custody. According to the autopsy, prison staff said Walker had repeatedly ignored commands and showed aggression toward officers, which led them to restrain him using batons and physical force.
Clark County remains a defendant in the case. The Nevada Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to emailed and telephone requests for comment about the settlement.
Walker had been in prison for more than two decades, serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole in connection with the 1997 death of his 17-year-old girlfriend. The family's suit alleged that prison staff used excessive force and failed to provide timely medical care, claims that the settlement resolved without a trial.
Civil settlements in custodial death cases often resolve claims without judicial findings of liability. The medical examiner's determination that Walker's death was natural, citing heart-related causes, contrasts with the autopsy's documentation of physical trauma, a discrepancy that was central to the family's allegations and to their decision to pursue litigation.
The settlement follows increased public scrutiny nationwide over detention and prison conditions, use of force by correctional staff, and how custodial deaths are investigated and reported. Legal challenges and civil settlements in such cases typically include confidentiality provisions; Urrutia said the family sought public disclosure of the facts uncovered in discovery and that the state agreed to the monetary settlement prior to trial.
The Associated Press first reported the settlement Tuesday. Further court filings or statements from Clark County could provide additional detail as the matter moves toward final resolution.