Female college student, 19, dies in police custody after swallowing bag of meth during traffic stop arrest
- Madeleine Gene Richardson, 19, was pronounced dead at hospital in Texas in the early hours of Saturday
- Her family described the college student as a ‘beautiful young lady inside and out’
By Louise Boyle DailyMail PUBLISHED: 10 July 2013
A 19-year-old college student has tragically died after swallowing a baggie of meth in what appears to be a panicked, split-second decision when her car was pulled over for speeding.
Teenager Madeleine Gene Richardson, who coached a swim team and studied at Lone Star College in Texas, was traveling in a car with friends when they were pulled over during a traffic stop on Friday.
Richardson, from Kingwood, Texas, was arrested along with the 20-year-old driver Gary Keife when an officer spotted marijuana residue and drug apparatus including pipes in the car.


A third female passenger was released while Richardson and Keife were charged with a Class-C misdemeanor over the drug paraphernalia.
Richardson was not searched as no female officer was present but her bag was removed and she was placed in handcuffs.
She and Keife were taken in two separate squad cars to the Washington County Jail on Friday afternoon around 2.45pm.
Chief Deputy Jay Petrash told MailOnline that Richardson looked ill when she arrived at the jail entrance just ten minutes later. Officers quickly asked what she had taken.
She admitted to officers that she had swallowed a baggie of meth leading them to call an ambulance.
Deputy Petrash said, in theory, the teenage girl could have swallowed the drugs when the traffic cop first signaled for their vehicle to stop.
It took around one mile for their vehicle to pull over after the officer had flashed his lights, Deputy Petrash said.

She was taken to Scott & White Hospital-Brenham but pronounced dead at 4.30am on July 6.
It is not clear the quantity of drugs that the 19-year-old girl swallowed. The results of an autopsy have not yet been released.
The Texas Rangers were investigating the young woman’s death in custody as part of standard procedure.
Deputy sheriff Petrash added: ‘It’s a tragedy when it is such a young person. I don’t know, maybe she panicked or got scared.’
Possession of methamphetamine is classed as a felony under Texas law and can carry a prison sentence.
Shock: The sheriff said that Miss Richardson’s death in police custody was ‘tragic’

In an obituary Miss Richardson was described by her distraught family as a ‘beautiful young lady, inside and out, who had a love for her family that exceeded all’.
It read: ‘A daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, and cousin, all of which she was proud to be.’
The 19-year-old, who was born in Humble, Texas, graduated from Kingwood High School last year and had been attending SFA University and Lone Star College.
The teenager is survived by her parents Rick and Suzanne Richardson and her sister Aubrey.
Her funeral is due to be held on Thursday at St Martha Catholic Church in Porter, Texas.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2359548/Teenage-girl-dies-police-custody-swallowing-baggie-meth-traffic-stop.html#ixzz2YgTDA660
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Stupid is, as Stupid does.
You can’t fix, Stupid.
Brittius your a jerk!!!
“your” = YOU’RE. Only you, lack the intelligence sufficient to spell or make proper comment.
Wow Brittius, You just proved how intelligent you are with your Forest Gump quote and your “You’re” correction. Why don’t you show some respect. This was somebody’s little girl.