Inmate Lashawn Thompson of the Fulton County Jail in Georgia was reportedly m*rdered by bugs in his cell last year, and his attorneys have now disclosed the results of the aut0psy they commissioned to determine what happened.
Among the many factors that led to Thompson’s death, forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell cited untreated schizophrenia, dehydration, malnourishment, and a severe infestation of body insects. Mitchell determined that Thompson’s death was the result of a violent assault.
During a press conference on Monday, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said, “These aut0psy findings confirm that Lashawn was killed by the extreme neglect of the Fulton County Jail and its staff,” Crump is representing Thompson’s family in a lawsuit against the jail.
“He was dehydrated, malnourished, and his body was infested inside and out with insects — it is truly one of the most horrific cases we have seen.” Crump said that Thompson was “m*rdered” by the “inaction, cruelty, and inhumanity” of the jail’s officials.
Attorney Michael Harper of the Harper Law Firm, who is representing Thompson’s family, told Fox News Digital in April that Thompson, 35, was waiting to go to trial on a misdemeanor simple battery allegation in June 2022.
After finding that Thompson had schizophrenia, jail officials reportedly transferred him to the psychiatric unit. He posted several disturbing images from inside the prison center, showing the conditions in which Thompson is said to have died.
Thompson was found by corrections officers three months after being transferred to the psychiatric wing, decaying and bug-eaten in a filthy cell. According to documents obtained by Harper’s legal team, jail personnel saw Thompson’s deterioration while he was still alive, including a thoracic infection from bedbugs and lice, but did nothing to help.
The following tweet serves as confirmation of the news:
Georgia inmate eaten alive by bugs died by homicide, autopsy reveals https://t.co/1woF3qI7a2
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 23, 2023
When Thompson was found de@d in his cell, Harper claims that there had been plans to move him to another area of the facility. When news of Thompson’s de@th spread nationwide, officials in Georgia’s Fulton County Jail moved quickly to solve overcrowding by announcing the transfer of more than 600 convicts and the release of an emergency $500,000 expenditure.
“It’s no secret that the dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions of the current facility make it incredibly difficult to meet the goal of providing a safe, clean, well-maintained and healthy environment for all inmates and staff,” Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said in a statement at the time.
“Without making explicit statements about Mr. Thompson’s health, it’s fair to say that this is one of many cases that illustrate the desperate need for expanded and better mental health services.” Atlanta police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are looking into Thompson’s de@th and the circumstances surrounding it at the jail.
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