Chicago woman dies of fentanyl overdose at Cook County jail

CHICAGO (AP) - Authorities say a 51-year-old woman died of a fentanyl overdose while in custody at the Cook County jail.

Lavera Scott of Chicago died March 2. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Cook County medical examiner's office said Thursday that Scott died of fentanyl toxicity. Her death was ruled an accident.

The Cook County sheriff's office says it is hard to detect fentanyl because the equivalent of a "few grains of salt" can be deadly. The office said it stopped strip searching detainees years ago but it would "continue all efforts" to prevent contraband from entering the jail.

A sheriff's department spokeswoman said at the time of Scott's death that it did not appear suspicious.

Scott was being held without bail on a drug possession charge. She had pleaded not guilty.

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Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://chicago.suntimes.com/