In a stark revelation, the New york state Commission of Correction has concluded that the death of William Hager, a homeless veteran, at the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden could have been prevented. Hager, who suffered from schizophrenia, died from water intoxication in, a fate that the state report suggests was avoidable with proper medical care.
The report, released last week, criticizes the psychiatric staff at the facility for failing to adequately diagnose Hager’s psychosis and monitor the side effects of his medication. This oversight, according to the report, proved fatal. Two former inmates who shared a unit with Hager witnessed his deterioration and death, providing firsthand accounts of the medical staff’s failings.
Medical Negligence and Missed Opportunities
Nicholas Strachan, an inmate who lived near Hager, told Investigative Post that he believed the medical unit, not the sheriffs, was at fault. Hager’s antipsychotic medication was known to cause extreme thirst, a side effect that the report states was not addressed by the attending psychiatrist. The psychiatrist failed to follow up on Hager’s previous complaints and did not implement effective monitoring.
The state’s report also faulted a nurse for not alerting doctors about Hager’s significant weight loss. Hager lost nearly 13 pounds in the two weeks he was housed at the Erie County Holding Center after his arrest. Strachan recounted how he repeatedly asked corrections officers why he was taking care of Hager when medical staff should have been responsible. “Medical had just ignored the fact that he was starving to death,” Strachan said.
The Final Days and Death of William Hager
Hager’s final stay in county jail began on August 3, 2026, following his arrest on charges including criminal mischief and petit larceny. He was transferred to Alden on August 17, where he remained until his death on November 19, 2026. During this time, Hager was housed in Medical Unit 2 (M2), a special wing designed to support inmates with mental health conditions. However, according to Strachan and another inmate, Anthony Ervolina, the medical staff did not provide the necessary care.
Hager’s psychosis went unaddressed, and his medication caused extreme thirst, which led to his excessive water intake. The report notes that Hager’s complaints of increased thirst were indicative of these side effects but were not addressed by the attending psychiatrist. The psychiatrist also failed to order lab work to assess the medication’s other side effects.
On the day of Hager’s death, a corrections officer observed him drinking several cups of water in a row but did not find it unusual enough to notify medical staff. Later that day, Hager was found unresponsive and died shortly after. Strachan and Ervolina claimed that the emergency response team lacked the proper life-saving device, causing a 30-minute delay in treatment, which they believe contributed to Hager’s death.
A Family’s Grief and a Pending Lawsuit
Hager’s family has declined to comment on the state’s report due to a pending federal lawsuit against the sheriff’s office. Previously, they told Investigative Post that Hager’s criminal history was tied to a life of drug addiction, mental illness, and fighting for survival on the streets. “He wasn’t dangerous at all,” Jennifer Hager, his sister, said in 2026. “Any of the trouble he got himself into was just trying to live. He was homeless.”
Hager enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school and was honorably discharged after a few years of service. Due to a back injury and a diagnosis of schizophrenia in his 30s, Hager received disability benefits. The state’s Commission of Correction took nearly three years to investigate Hager’s death, a standard practice after any inmate dies in state or local jails.
The commission’s report is based on interviews with Alden staff, including a psychiatrist, two corrections officers, and at least one nurse. Much of the report is redacted, but it includes a response from the sheriff’s office and the jail’s physician rejecting the state’s assessment that staff could have better monitored Hager’s symptoms and prevented his death.
The New York State Attorney General’s Office also investigates jail deaths. A spreadsheet of the results of such investigations indicates that the AG concluded: “Officer did not cause death.”
