After multiple overdoses, Bradley Ketcherside repeatedly applied for medically assisted treatment for his opioid use disorder while incarcerated at Crossroads Correctional Center. The first time, in October 2024, a far-off release date disqualified him for the medication, records show. Two months later, it was his placement in solitary confinement that barred him from treatment — even though drug use was what landed him in the hole.

On his final application in January 2025, a mental health evaluator recorded Ketcherside pleading that medication “would save my life.” The evaluator denied his request, according to medical records, concluding that Ketcherside didn’t show severe enough signs of addiction to require treatment.

Six days later Ketcherside was dead. Staff found him cold and unresponsive in his cell, according to a recently filed federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of his widow. Medical providers attempted to administer Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal drug, but it was too late.

In a complaint filed on March 5, attorneys with the civil rights and immigration law firm Khazaeli Wyrsch allege the circumstances leading up to Ketcherside’s death are not an anomaly. Rather, the suit argues that the Missouri Department of Corrections and healthcare provider Centurion Health “systemically deny and unreasonably delay necessary medical care to inmates diagnosed with opioid use disorder,” discriminating against them and placing them at unnecessary risk of death.

In a prison system flooded with drugs, where staff play a role in smuggling illicit substances, Ketcherside’s death illustrates the department’s numerous failures to prevent overdoses among its prison population, the lawsuit alleges. Staff respond to overdoses with punishment and put up arbitrary barriers to drug treatment, denying people access for being sober for too long and also denying them when they use, lawyers allege.

“The stakes are life and death,” said Leah Fessler, lead attorney on the case. “ It is a huge injustice to allow people to die in prison from the condition that put them in prison without offering them any access to proper medical treatment.”

In an email, a spokesperson for the department said any incarcerated person with an opioid disorder has access to institutional treatment programs, including individual and group counseling, and can be prescribed medication-assisted treatment, abbreviated MAT, if approved by their medical provider.

“Residents have access to short-term, intermediate and long-term programs, depending on need,” the spokesperson wrote. “The resident’s original conviction has no influence on access to treatment.”

However, Ketcherside’s family, and men incarcerated at prisons around the state, told The Marshall Project – St. Louis that access to treatment and rehabilitation services is rarely so straightforward.

“The way they live is so inhumane…  they literally have to be on their deathbed before they get any kind of decent help,” said Ketcherside’s widow, Angela, in an interview with The Marshall Project – St. Louis. “ You expect that they’re gonna be safe, you know, now that they’re not on the streets. But they’re probably in more danger on the inside than they are out here.”

Last year, nearly 7,000 incarcerated people across the state were diagnosed with opioid use disorder, a Department of Corrections spokesperson said, compared with roughly 1,500 in 2024. (The spokesperson said the dramatic spike in part reflects a new assessment tool the department adopted last year to better screen for substance use disorder.)

In its budget request for fiscal year 2026, department officials reported that per person drug treatment costs between $6,500 and $14,200 a year. At that cost, officials estimated the department would be able to scale the MAT program from 121 people in 2024 to a total of 841 people by summer 2026. According to the department spokesperson, just under 3,700 people are currently receiving medically assisted treatment across the prison system. The spokesperson did not respond to questions about how the department is able to fund treatment at that scale.

In a 2025 amendment to its contract with Centurion, the healthcare provider for the prisons, the department noted it has nearly $7 million from the opioid settlement fund to spend on expanding the MAT program this fiscal year. The funding is the result of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies and distributors, and are intended to be used to combat the opioid epidemic.

While the Department of Corrections has pointed the finger at incarcerated people, their visitors, and even mystery drone and catapult operators as potential culprits, the suit alleges that officials have done little to crack down on the role staff play in trafficking drugs through the prison system. Last year, multiple corrections officers in Missouri were charged with bringing drugs into prisons.

At Crossroads, the prison in Cameron, Missouri, where Ketcherside spent his final months, the main entrance had no overnight security for months at a time, the lawsuit alleges. Corrections officers and medical staff exploited this gap to profit off people with substance use disorder by “illegally smuggling drugs into the prison and selling them to incarcerated people,” according to the complaint.

In a prison system awash in drugs, the suit alleges incarcerated people are given a host of reasons they can’t receive treatment, including not having overdosed recently enough or not displaying severe-enough signs of addiction. In letters to attorneys on the case, multiple incarcerated people seeking legal help said they were denied treatment because they were not actively overdosing or in withdrawal.

The first time one man spoke with a nurse about treatment, “she stated that I was not currently withdrawing so, in so many words, they didn’t care,” he wrote in a letter provided to The Marshall Project – St. Louis. Another incarcerated man recalled a medical provider telling him, “We can’t do nothing for you until you overdose again.”

There are three primary medications for opioid use disorder: buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone. The first two medications bind to opioid receptors to help stem cravings, while the third medication, which is more commonly prescribed in jails and prisons, blocks receptors but does not treat underlying cravings.

“Buprenorphine  and methadone have decades of data showing their efficacy, and naltrexone does not meet that standard,” said Melissa Stein, a consultant who worked with Missouri DOC to develop its medically assisted treatment program.

/ Courtesy of attorney Leah Fessler

/

Advertisement

Courtesy of attorney Leah Fessler

In letters, incarcerated people in Missouri prisons have reported being placed on naltrexone against their wishes, and forced to demonstrate negative side effects from the drug before being allowed to try other treatment options.

Stein said this approach is “ not in accordance with medical best practice, so we do not support that kind of policy.”

Prison officials denied Ketcherside’s request for medication two out of the three times he asked because he wasn’t close enough to his release date, according to prison records. His final attempt to access MAT was rejected, despite his extensive history of opioid use and multiple overdoses, because in an evaluation that lasted less than 15 minutes, mental health staff determined Ketcherside was “not intending to use opiates” after he said he was trying to stick to K2, a name for synthetic cannabinoids, instead.

“Offender repeatedly said that this ‘would save my life!’” the mental health evaluator wrote in the appointment note. “Offender claimed that this was a service he needed … but did not meet criteria due to his not using opiates since overdose on 7/2/2024.”

ACLU Staff Attorney Joseph Longley said these arbitrary reasons for denying care are both unconstitutional and disability discrimination. “There’s really no excuse,” he said, “and them not providing it anyway is such a clear example of deliberate indifference to the medical needs of people with opioid use disorder.”

The risk of addiction-related death isn’t just from overdoses. Opioid withdrawl, often triggered by placement in solitary confinement, is a medical emergency and can drive people to suicide or self-harm.

In a letter to Fessler at the start of last year, Brandon Church described being taken off his medication for opioid use disorder while in solitary confinement at Jefferson City Correctional Center, in Missouri’s capital city. He begged for assistance to get back on medication, and said his repeated medical requests had gone unanswered.

“I’m addicted to opioids and self-harm. When I was on the medication it was so much better, for once in my life I felt normal. My cravings were gone,” the 34-year old wrote. “I would really like to make it home. … Have a happy new years and god bless.”

Fessler never got a chance to respond. Two weeks later, prison staff found Church hanging by his neck from a bar in his cell, according to his autopsy report.

Private health care providers have a well-documented pattern of creating barriers to treatment access in prisons, experts said, and Missouri is no exception. Centurion Health is a contractor that is incentivized to operate with profit margins — not people’s health — as the top priority, experts argue.

“The less medication they prescribe, the more money they save in their contract, the more profit they make their investors,” said Dr. Fred Rottnek, a professor at St. Louis University School of Medicine and consultant with Policy Research Associates on access to substance use treatment in prisons.

More often, the department responds to substance use with punishment, the suit alleges. Possession or use of an intoxicating substance is a violation of Rule 11 in Missouri DOC’s Offender Rulebook, punishable by the most severe range of sanctions: An incarcerated person can be confined to their cell, forced to work extra hours, have their wages cut or be placed in solitary (where, according to multiple reports, drugs are still available). Violations can also impact a person’s eligibility for rehabilitation programs and even their date of release. Some incarcerated people have reported not being able to access treatment because they were too far away from their release date, only to have that date pushed further back because they were caught using drugs.

“My drug use resulted in violations that resulted in extending my stay,” one man wrote in a January 2025 letter to attorneys on the case. “MODOC has refused to help me and continued to punish me for my substance abuse, addiction, and mental health conditions.”

/ Courtesy of attorney Leah Fessler

Advertisement

/

Courtesy of attorney Leah Fessler

A department spokesperson declined to comment on the range of sanctions for substance use, and said in an email that staff refer people struggling with addiction to treatment providers who can connect them with “supportive services” such as counseling.

“The current awareness campaign aims to help de-stigmatize addiction and encourage residents of our facilities to seek help,” the spokesperson wrote.

The prisons do offer behavioral health programming as one response for those caught using drugs. But experts say the state’s substance use program is currently insufficient to meet the needs of its incarcerated population. A combination of cost, understaffing and stigma has kept the department’s progress on improving treatment options to an arthritic pace, Rottnek said. And in letters to attorneys on the case, incarcerated people who did enter treatment wrote that the programs they were offered didn’t work.

“I’ve done several programs and even just completed Hustle 2.0,” one man wrote, referring to a behavioral health rehabilitation program offered by the prison. “However, I can’t shake or beat this on my own. I realised this the last time I woke up with my celly giving me mouth to mouth. He was crying and said, ‘Bro. You were dead.’”

/ Courtesy of attorney Leah Fessler

/

Courtesy of attorney Leah Fessler

In addition to monetary relief for Ketcherside’s widow and the children who considered him a father and friend, the lawsuit calls for the court “to punish defendants and to deter them” from ignoring the rights of the people in their care. Fessler, the lead attorney on the case, said she hopes the lawsuit will “ demonstrate to the DOC and to Centurion the consequences of not focusing on this MAT program and really making it effective and accessible for everybody who has opioid use disorder in prison.”

Fessler believes MAT access could be life-saving. She pointed to the story of Colby Rey, who has been incarcerated in Missouri prisons since 2022, as an example of what can happen when addiction is properly treated. After two years of begging the prison system for help, and three overdoses that sent him to solitary confinement, his life behind bars dramatically improved when he was put back on the buprenorphine treatment he was receiving prior to his incarceration. The DOC only relented after Rey sought legal recourse, working with Fessler to draft a demand letter to the prison.

Ketcherside’s widow, Angela, is hoping the lawsuit will bring about necessary reforms, so incarcerated people won’t suffer the same fate as her husband.

“ It all comes down to the fact that he was their responsibility,” she said. “And if they had done their job properly, he’d still be here.”

This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project – St. Louis, a nonprofit news team covering Missouri’s criminal justice systems. Subscribe to their email list, and follow The Marshall Project on Instagram, Reddit and YouTube.

Legalized sports betting is finally here in Missouri, and Caesars Sportsbook Missouri is one of the sportsbooks that is now operating in the Show-Me State. The Caesars Missouri promo code SPORTSLINEDYW lets new users bet $1 and double their winnings on their next 10 wagers.

Is Caesars Sportsbook legal in Missouri?

Caesars Sportsbook is officially available in Missouri as of Dec. 1, 2025. Caesars will now operate in Missouri both with in-person sportsbooks out of existing retail casinos in the state, as well as online. This allows bettors throughout the state to place wagers on different sports markets.

Caesars Sportsbook Missouri promo

The Caesars Sportsbook Missouri promo code is SPORTSLINEDYW. With this offer, new users can bet $1 and double their winnings on their next 10 wagers via ten 100% Profit Boost Tokens. 

How does the Caesars Sportsbook Missouri promo code work?

With the Caesars Sportsbook Missouri promo code SPORTSLINEDYW, new users can place a $1+ first bet with minimum odds of -10,000 to receive 10 Profit Boost Tokens. Those tokens have a maximum bet amount of $25. There is also a maximum additional winnings of $2,500 per token. Tokens expire 14 days after receipt. If a wager is voided or is graded a push, Profit Boost Tokens are not reissued.

How to sign up for Caesars Sportsbook Missouri

Here are the steps to follow in order to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook in Missouri.

Missouri sports teams to bet on

There are seven professional teams in Missouri, in leagues like the NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS and NWSL. Here are the available odds for Missouri teams at Caesars Sportsbook (last updated Feb. 17, 2026). 

Kansas City Chiefs (+1400)

The Chiefs got off to a slow start to the 2025 season and were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15. Prior to 2026, Kansas City appeared in each of the last three Super Bowls and five of the last seven, winning three rings over that span. 

St. Louis Blues (+30000)

The Blues aren’t seen as a prime Stanley Cup contender, but they figure to be in the playoff mix once again this year. St. Louis made the postseason last year and made some noise, forcing the Winnipeg Jets to Game 7 in the first round, which the Jets won in overtime. 

Kansas City Royals (+4000)

The Royals could not capitalize on their 2024 playoff run, finishing barely over .500 and missing the postseason in 2025. The team has some key pieces set to return, namely superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who is among the top players in the game. The AL Central-winning Guardians won just 88 games and the Tigers earned the third AL Wild Card spot with 87 victories, so the American League figures to be wide open again in 2026.

St. Louis Cardinals (+12500)

Missouri’s other MLB team has struggled in recent years, finishing under .500 twice since 2023 and missing the postseason each of those seasons. That comes after making the postseason nine times from 2011-2022. The Cardinals appear to be in a tough spot between rebuilding and contending, and oddsmakers peg them as a long shot to contend in 2026. 

Betting on college teams in Missouri

College sports are big in Missouri, especially the Missouri Tigers. Bettors are now able to place wagers on Tigers football and basketball as of Dec. 1. The Mizzou football team has taken some big steps towards College Football Playoff contention over the last few years under Eli Drinkwitz, while the school’s basketball team has made the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three years and three of the last five seasons. As of mid-February, the Tigers are right on the bubble of the 2026 Tournament field.

Responsible gaming in Missouri

Sportsbooks in Missouri offer various tools and resources for bettors, like gaming limits and alerts, and timeout options. Additionally, the Missouri Gaming Commission offers plenty of different resources, as well as contact information for helplines to Missouri residents. The Missouri Problem Gambling Helpline can be reached at 888-BETS-OFF (888-238-7633) and 888BETSOFF.com. The MGC also offers a voluntary “Problem Gaming List” self-exclusion program. Bettors can also call or text 1-800-GAMBLER 24/7.

FAQ

When will Caesars Sportsbook be legal in Missouri? 

Caesars Sportsbook is officially available to Missouri bettors as of Dec. 1, 2025.

Can you use Caesars Sportsbook in Missouri?

Caesars Sportsbook is now available in Missouri as of Dec. 1, so bettors can officially sign up and place wagers at the sportsbook. 

How can I register for Caesars Sportsbook in Missouri?

Check out our step-by-step instructions on how to sign up with the Caesars Sportsbook promo code further up on this page.

What is the Caesars Sportsbook promo in Missouri?

The Caesars Sportsbook Missouri promo code is SPORTSLINEDYW, which allows new users to place a $1+ first bet with minimum odds of -10,000 to receive 10 Profit Boost Tokens. Those tokens have a maximum bet amount of $25. There is also a maximum additional winnings of $2,500 per token. Tokens expire 14 days after receipt. If a wager is voided or is graded a push, Profit Boost Tokens are not reissued. 

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 8-7-5

Midday Wild: 9

Evening: 6-8-6

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 6-4-9-3

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 1-2-6-7

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 10 drawing

Early Bird: 15

Morning: 04

Matinee: 10

Prime Time: 14

Night Owl: 01

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 10 drawing

04-07-18-25-29

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

• Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
• Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
• Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
• Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
• Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
• Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
• Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
• Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.