What did Christopher Lapp do? Family of millionaire nuclear physicist who took his own life in prison sues federal government

Christopher Lapp's family is suing the government after Lapp died by suicide for denying the physicist psychotropic medicine and denying him admission into a federal medical prison.

The physicist was 62 years old at the time of his death. In a chilling note he wrote to his daughter, he said:

“I am very sorry, but some bad people have been after me for a while. … It is better for everyone if I am not around so they can’t harm others.”

In November 2018, Christopher Lapp was detained after entering a Wells Fargo Bank in Great Falls. He threatened the teller with a gun and took the vehicle to flee. When a K-9 officer found him at his home, he was apprehended. The robbery happened during a manic episode, as said by the judge, or during a psychotic break, as Lapp's family lawyer said.

---

Christopher Lapp's sixteen-year-old daughter sues the federal government for wrongful death of her father

Lapp's 16-year-old daughter sued the federal government, the Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Justice Department for wrongful death, his pain and suffering, and other alleged violations in the few months that led to the physicist's suicide.

The suit also takes the name of Dean Inouye, the psychiatrist who discontinued his medication for his severe bipolar disorder and psychotic features.

The government hasn't responded to the lawsuit put forth by Lapp's daughter.

Judge T.S. Ellis III was the judge at the court hearing for Christopher Lapp's robbery attempt. He ordered that Lapp be sent for a psychiatric evaluation for his biopolar disorder in October 2019 to determine if he was competent to stand trial in January 2020. The report came back saying that he was "delusional."

The physicist was subsequently prescribed psychotropic medications, and by February 2021, his Butner-based health doctors asserted that he was competent for trial. Christopher Lapp was treated by a forensic psychologist in February 2021, and according to them, "it is imperative he be maintained on this [medication] regimen to prevent the likelihood of psychiatric decompensation."

Lapp was put on trial, and he pleaded guilty. Ellis accepted his admission of guilt and asked him to return to the medical facility in North Carolina to continue his treatment, which was making a difference in Lapp's life. The facility, however, refused to accept him back, stating that it was against their policy to take a convict who had not yet received a sentence so that they could maintain "continuity of care purposes."

Lapp was sent back to the Alexandria jail, where he was evaluated by a physician, who ended Christopher Lapp's medication based on a conversation where Lapp said he didn't need them anymore. The physician, Dean Inouye, said the North Carolina facility didn't send Lapp's complete medical records.

The lawsuit makes the same claim, saying that the Butner facility's files contained little of Lapp's history. Alexandria officials said the jail had not received records from the facility in the past ten years. Inouye also wrote that Lapp's records "were not available for review" and that Lapp "was simply denying everything" regarding his mental health issues. Hence, Inouye discontinued Lapp's medication.

According to records, Lapp's defense attorney notified the lawyer about his stay in Alexandria, but Ellis said he didn't notice the document, and federal prosecutors took no action.

Judge T.S. Ellis III was furious after learning of Lapp's death, and he convened a hearing in June 2021 to find out why the Bureau of Prisons had disobeyed his orders.

"Dr. Lapp’s suicide is a tragedy that should not be repeated. I want to know how the ball was dropped.”

Ellis claimed that "it's my fault... I didn't know" about Butner's refusal to take Christopher Lapp in.

The judge largely blamed federal prison officials for not taking Lapp to Butner for treatment. He told the prison officers who participated in the hearing:

“If I issue an order, you must obey it. Nobody in the Bureau of Prisons should ever decide they don’t want to obey my order because they think it violates the law. I trump their view of the law.”

Christopher Lapp's daughter is heartbroken and ready to sue the government for justice for her father's death by suicide.