Georgia man found dead in bedbug-infested prison cell died of ‘gross neglect’: independent autopsy

LaShawn Thompson, a man whose family says he was “eaten alive by insects and bedbugs” at the Fulton County Jail, died of “complications resulting from severe neglect,” according to an independent autopsy.

Thompson’s family spoke at a news conference outside the Georgia State Capitol on Monday, along with their attorneys Ben Crump and Michael Harper, during which they announced the results of an independent autopsy that ruled Thompson’s manner of death a “homicide.”

The autopsy report, obtained by ABC News, listed “dehydration, malnutrition, severe insect infestation” and “untreated decompensated schizophrenia” as factors that led to Thompson’s death at an Atlanta jail on September 13, 2022.

Photos of Thompson covered in bedbugs and pictures of his filthy cell went viral on social media and sparked widespread outrage.

“It’s bad enough that bedbugs and lice sat there and ate my brother to death, but it’s the neglect that hurts me the most,” Thompson’s brother, Brad McCray, said during a news conference Monday.

“These images are all over the internet, in all media. This is disturbing. It’s terrifying. And they have a big impact on my family,” McCray added.

Family calls for justice after death of inmate allegedly ‘eaten alive’ by bedbugs

Harper confirmed to ABC News that Colin Kaepernick’s nonprofit Know Your Rights Camp paid for an independent autopsy on Thompson. Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49ers player and social justice advocate, offered to pay for an independent autopsy after a previous autopsy released by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office on Jan. 12, 2023 listed Thompson’s cause of death as “undetermined.” .

The Fulton County autopsy, obtained by ABC News, was completed on Sept. 14, 2022 — the day after Thompson died — and listed the conditions as “schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and acute exacerbation.”

The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office declined to comment to ABC News on Monday when asked about the results of the independent autopsy.

Jail records show Thompson was arrested on June 12, 2022, on charges of simple battery on a police officer.

His death prompted a resignation from the Fulton County Jail after his family said Thompson was left in a filthy cell where he was “eaten alive by insects and bedbugs” and staff allegedly ignored his medical needs, Harper’s attorney said.

Following Thompson’s death, the Atlanta Police Department and the Office of Professional Standards opened an investigation into Thompson’s death.

Asked about the status of the investigation, an Atlanta Police Department spokesman on Monday referred ABC News to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, which said it was the lead agency in the investigation.

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Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat told ABC News in a statement Monday that while he “did not have a chance to fully review the independent autopsy report” even before the report was released, “it was painfully clear that there were several failures that led to Mr. Thompson’s tragic death.”

“I remain committed to providing Thompson’s family with the answers they need and deserve regarding the sordid circumstances surrounding Mr. Thompson’s death,” he added.

Labat, who joined the family at a previous news conference in April, said in an April 17 statement that following the initial findings of the investigation into Thompson’s death, “sweeping changes” had taken place at the Fulton County Jail.

Labat said in a statement that he had asked for and received the resignations of numerous prison employees, including the chief warden, his deputy and the deputy chief warden of the facility’s criminal investigation division.

Once the investigation is complete, the report will be forwarded to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for review.

“Repercussions for anyone found negligent in the care of Mr. Thompson could occur once the full investigation is turned over to the GBI for review,” Labat said in a statement to ABC News on Monday.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, called on the U.S. Department of Justice on April 20 to open an investigation into Thompson’s death. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

ABC News’ Nakylah Carter and Teddy Grant contributed to this report.

Georgia man found dead in bedbug-infested jail cell died from ‘serious neglect’: Independent autopsy originally appeared on abcnews.go.com