[MSN] William Crumpton, convicted in theft of Georgia O'Keeffe painting, died two days after release. Estate has accused Santa Fe County jail officials of causing his premature death.

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Lawsuit: Officials caused man's death  
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By Tom Sharpe | The New Mexican 
February 9, 2007 


William Crumpton, convicted in theft of Georgia O'Keeffe painting, died two
days after release

The estate of a man convicted of stealing a Georgia O'Keeffe painting has
accused Santa Fe County jail officials of causing his premature death.

William Crumpton, 49, died of a blood clot in his lung April 27, two days
after being released from jail.

According to a complaint filed this week in state District Court, Crumpton
died because jail officials ignored his request for a blood thinner during
his month of incarceration.

The former guard at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum pleaded guilty to stealing
Red Canna 1919, valued at $500,000, from the private museum plus $8,000 in
cash from the Santa Fe County Treasurer's Office in 2004. The painting was
later recovered, and Crumpton claimed to have lost the money gambling.

Crumpton was jailed briefly and released on probation. He was jailed again
March 21 on a probation violation after entering a casino.

According to the complaint, Crumpton, who suffered from hypertension, blood
clots, diabetes and other health conditions, told jail officials he needed a
drug called Coumadin to prevent clots, but those requests were ignored.

"He continuously complained of having difficulty breathing properly, and of
being constantly fatigued and weak," it says. "Those responsible for
Crumpton's medical care disregarded the need for treatment. ... As a result,
Crumpton suffered an agonizingly painful and premature death."

The complaint by lawyers Scott Voorhees and Val Whitley of Santa Fe seeks
unspecified damages for deprivation of civil rights, wrongful death and
common law torts.

Named as defendants are two former doctors at the jail, Laura Kay and Logan
Root; Sheriff Greg Solano; former jail administrator Bill Blank; Deputy
Corrections Director Greg Parrish; and Santa Fe County commissioners.

Solano declined comment. Efforts to reach Kay and Root were unsuccessful.

About the same time Red Canna 1919 went missing, another O'Keeffe painting,
No. 21-Special (Palo Duro Canyon), valued at $1 million, was stolen from the
state Museum of Fine Arts. Crumpton, who had worked at the state museum
until 1997, initially admitted to stealing that painting, then recanted. He
was never charged with the crime.

State police spokesman Peter Olson said No 21-Special (Palo Duro Canyon) has
never been recovered, although Gov. Bill Richardson "asks me about it every
time I meet with him."

Contact Tom Sharpe at 995-3813 or tsharpe at sfnewmexican.com.