A Des Moines man is pleading guilty to manslaughter for allegedly causing a fatal injury two years ago to a fellow detainee at the Polk County Jail in a case the sheriff’s office apparently failed to previously disclose.
Jonathan Brewer Jr., 49, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 53-year-old Michael Clark of West Des Moines. According to court filings, Brewer encountered Clark while being escorted through the jail intake area on June 23, 2023, and without provocation charged Clark and head-butted him in the face, authorities say.
Clark, who was being booked for public intoxication and shoplifting, began experiencing seizures soon after the attack and died in a hospital on July 1, 2023. An autopsy found his cause of death was blunt force injury to the head.
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Under his plea deal, announced by prosecutors Tuesday afternoon, Brewer will plead to the lesser offense of involuntary manslaughter in Clark’s death. He also is pleading to assault with intent to cause serious injury for attacking another jail inmate shortly before he encountered Clark.
Because Brewer is a habitual offender, with a record including prior cases for burglary, assault and criminal mischief, he faces up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter charge
Sheriff’s office silent on arrest, charges, investigation
Although the case has been pending for more than a year, it had not received any prior media coverage. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, which generally announces charges for murder and other serious offenses, does not appear to have made any public statements about Brewer’s arrest or charges, or to have publicly acknowledged the death of a jail detainee.
The Des Moines Register first learned of the case on Monday, shortly before the plea deal was reached, and sent the sheriff’s office a list of questions, including whether county policy requires any public disclosures about the charges or detainee deaths, and whether the county has undertaken any investigation into whether jail conditions may have contributed to Clark’s injury. The sheriff’s office had not provided answers by Tuesday afternoon.
Asked about such an investigation, a spokesperson for the Polk County Attorney’s Office said no jail workers were referred for possible prosecution, and referred all other questions about investigative efforts to the sheriff’s office.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Polk County Jail killing leads to manslaughter plea