HURRICANE, Utah (ABC4) — The autopsy report on a 17-year-old girl who died at Diamond Ranch Academy in December 2022 states she had a curable disease, and her family’s attorneys say she was never taken to a hospital.
Requests for comment from Diamond Ranch, a facility for troubled teens, were not immediately answered this afternoon. This post will be updated with any statements from the facility as they are made available.
Taylor Goodridge’s autopsy report showed that she died of peritonitis on Dec. 20, 2022, according to the Utah Medical Examiner. Johns Hopkins Medicine defines the disease as an inflammation of the lining of the abdomen.
“It is often caused by an infection from a hole in the bowel or a burst appendix,” states Johns Hopkins. “You must seek medical care right away.” The cure for peritonitis is a course of antibiotics, though advanced cases could require emergency surgery.
Instead, the infection led to sepsis in her body, which spread to “all of [Goodridge’s] vital organs causing complete organ failure.”
Attorney Alan W. Mortensen stated in a press release that Goodridge’s records at Diamond Ranch show she “vomited several times for over a week before she died. (Diamond Ranch) staff was begging (Diamond Ranch) management to take her to the hospital for days before she died.”
Mortensen claimed Goodridge’s pleas for help instead drew punishment from the facility’s officials. She never saw a doctor before her death, despite showing symptoms as early as Dec. 9, including back pain, difficulty breathing, and difficulty sleeping due to pain. Mortensen stated documents show Taylor vomited at least 14 times, including seven times in an 11-hour period.
Mortensen also claims Diamond Ranch canceled phone calls home to Goodridge’s parents during the weeks she was sick. Her parents have since filed suit against Diamond Ranch. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has also placed the facility on probation pending an investigation.
Parents Dean Goodridge and AmberLynn Wigtion issued the following statement:
“We are devastated to learn that Taylor’s death was entirely preventable had Diamond Ranch Academy cared. We are also dumbfounded that the State of Utah’s Department of Health and Human Services has not held Diamond Ranch Academy accountable for Taylor’s death, settling with Diamond Ranch Academy without any input from our family. Diamond Ranch Academy is now able to continue accepting unknowing students with naive parents, so that the owners of Diamond Ranch Academy can continue to earn profits from the misfortunes of its students and their parents. We intend to continue to pursue all avenues to hold Diamond Ranch Academy accountable for her death to make sure this does not happen to other innocent teens and their families.”
Parents Dean Goodridge and AmberLynn Wigtion
