County Pays $1.8 Million Settlement

(St. Francois County, MO) St. Francois County officials are reportedly settling a wrongful death lawsuit for $1.8 million dollars. The suit alleged a Bismarck man, 36 year old William Ames III, who was arrested in November of 2018 during a traffic stop, was ignored by the St. Francois County jail nurse and guards after swallowing a baggy full of drugs. The suit also claimed Ames was left strapped in a chair for 24 hours while begging for help.  County officials denied any wrongdoing saying Ames had not told anyone at the jail that he'd swallowed the drugs or that he had any medical problems.