by Michael J. Marino
Warning: Please be advised the following article contains content which some may find disturbing. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or feelings, DON’T WAIT – CALL 988 right away. Help is available 24/7. You are not alone.
A coroner’s inquest is scheduled later this year to inquire as to the circumstances surrounding a woman’s death while she was a resident at Passages, a women’s pre-release center off South 27th Street in Billings. While officials say the evidence will most likely show that the woman took her own life on December 25, 2022, questions remain about the circumstances surrounding her death due to differing narratives being espoused among agencies. The inquest will determine the official story.
Chelsea Martin, 30, was a veteran of the U.S. Navy who suffered a brain injury while serving her country and struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and suicidal ideation after she returned home. She was in the Passages program to get her life back on track in December 2022 after running into legal troubles. By all accounts, she seemed to be succeeding. She was program complete; and, a few days before Christmas, was approved to rent an apartment in Billings. It was simply a matter of transitioning out of the facility.
Jessica Hurt, a friend of Chelsea’s who was also in Passages in December 2022, said the injury from Chelsea’s military service took a heavy toll on both her mental and physical health, causing her to have frequent seizures and suicidal thoughts.
Not one to give up, however, “Chelsea tried really hard when she was here. She worked out everyday. She tried to help everybody. That was her goal in life – to help people,” Jessica said of her friend.
Right before Chelsea’s release date, she was placed back on the second floor of Passages on sanction for a supposed contraband violation. According to Jessica, Chelsea had a seizure while at a gym in downtown Billings. Employees of the gym told Passages staff there was a can of air duster in Chelsea’s purse, and they believed the air duster was to blame for her seizure. Air duster is sometimes used as a “huffing” substance.
Chelsea was working with a case manager at a local veteran’s outreach program, Matt. (YCN agreed to use an alias for Matt due to legitimate concerns of retaliation, as he was reportedly threatened with termination after speaking out on social media.)
Matt said he got a call from Chelsea before she went upstairs, in which she said, “I’m so, so sorry,” and she told him she just wanted to “say goodbye.”
Regarding sending Chelsea upstairs, Matt said, “I begged them not to do that because of her situation.” Further, he called the facility and assured them that he would pick Chelsea up and take her to her new apartment on Monday. “But, they did it (sanctioned Chelsea to the second floor)… she was supposed to be on suicide watch.”
Jessica says she and other residents tried to alert staff that Chelsea was struggling, even before the alleged incident at the gym. “I’d known Chelsea had been suicidal, and I’d already gone to the desk [at Passages] and told them that they needed to check with [Chelsea] to make sure she was alright…” said Jessica. “When they put her upstairs, they were supposed to put her on suicide watch.”
Despite this, Jessica claims staff put Chelsea in a room with no camera, and alone – a practice many former residents say is simply unheard of. Nikki Borrowman, a resident in 2018, said, “It was always a minimum of two [women] to a room. Usually there were four or five of us in one room, but regardless, we were never in a room by ourselves.”
Other residents offered to be roomed with Chelsea, so she was not alone, but Jessica says staff members repeatedly denied their requests and dismissed their concerns.
Tragically, Chelsea took her own life sometime during Christmas night in 2022. Said Matt, “She somehow slipped off during the night, went in the bathroom and hung herself. Her P.O. officer found her the next afternoon, hanging in the bathroom.”
“How do you not know when she’s not there for breakfast?” questioned Matt. “If you’re under suicide watch, how can you be missing for hours?”
Jessica similarly stated, “When they found Chelsea, she had been hanging there for hours.”
Yellowstone County Chief Civil Litigation Attorney, Melissa Williams, confirmed May 17 that Chelsea Martin’s death was deemed a suicide by hanging, according to her records.
What’s puzzling is this: Yellowstone County News (YCN) requested and obtained the police report and 911 call narrative associated with the case, which is dated Dec. 26, 2022 at 6:18 PM.
The call narrative begins at 5:50 PM, indicating the caller stated: “Resident passed out in one of the bathrooms / unable to get into the bathroom.” About a minute later, the caller was “now inside with patient (Chelsea).”
While medical help was on the way, the caller indicated “poss[ible] overdose on fentanyl” as the reason Chelsea was “passed out.” The caller says at 5:52 PM they are “attempting to get Narcan” (Narcan is a drug which can reverse the effect of an overdose in some cases). At 5:53 PM, the narrative says, “A defibrillator (AED) is available, and someone was sent to get it.”
Narcan was reportedly administered to Chelsea at 5:54 PM.
When help arrives at 5:57 PM, the dispatcher notes that the defibrillator did not get hooked up prior to the arrival of paramedics.
Many questions may arise at this point, but one in particular: Why would the caller say Chelsea was “possibly overdosing” if she was found to be hanging? Also, what could Narcan have done in this situation?
David Armstrong, CEO of Alternatives, Inc., the company which owns and operates both Billings pre-releases, agreed to speak with YCN about the policies and procedures Alternatives has in place regarding potentially suicidal residents. Armstrong asked that audio recording not be used for this interview.
Armstrong stated that upon arrival at either facility, every resident is screened for a history of suicidal behavior. If a history is present, the resident is assigned a licensed counselor in addition to a case manager. The facility also reviews a resident’s medications to make sure they are correct.
Armstrong continued, “If a suicidal gesture is made, we would take that person to Billings Clinic, and Billings Clinic would make a determination about whether to commit them to the psychiatric unit or not.” If suicidal ideation is presented, said Armstrong, then staff is required to place the resident in an “observation room,” and they must be checked on frequently, potentially up to every 15 minutes.
As far as Chelsea’s case specifically, Armstrong declined to comment, except to say he felt the staff at Passages worked very hard to help her. “We were very invested in Chelsea,” he added.
A coroner’s inquest is scheduled for the case on September 29, 2023 at the Yellowstone County Courthouse. Melissa Williams explained, “The design [of an inquest] was really to be fully transparent. The public has a right to know how someone came to pass in a facility. They should have the ability to inquire as to the circumstances surrounding that death.”
Chelsea’s family stated the best way to honor her memory is to get involved in the community. They encourage one to get involved with or donate to a local organization, in her memory, that helps individuals with disabilities, veterans, or with mental health.
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