The family of a Georgia man who died in a bedbug-infested jail cell in Atlanta, United States, last year is now demanding a criminal investigation into his death.
Washington Post quoted Michael Harper, the family attorney of Lashawn Thompson, to have alleged that the deceased was “eaten alive” by insects and bed bugs.
In June 2022, Thompson was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor. He was held at the Fulton county jail in Atlanta, where he was found dead in his cell on September 13.
Harper said Thompson was discovered dead inside a disgusting cell covered in filth and lice.
Thompson’s family members, who live in Alabama, were also not aware he had been detained until they received a call informing them of his death.
The family is now calling for a criminal investigation into his death.
The autopsy conducted to determine the cause of the 35-year-old man‘s death described an “extremely severe” infestation of small insects across his body.
According to the autopsy report, Thompson’s “face, and upper and lower body were pockmarked with cuts and lesions from repeated skin-picking.”
In a statement, the attorney for Thompson’s family alleged he was “eaten alive” by insects and bed bugs.
The statement also called for the Fulton county jail to be “shuttered and replaced.”
“They put that man in that cell, left him there to die and that’s exactly what happened,” Harper said.
“The family is working with doctors to investigate Thompson’s death. The family decided to release the photos to illustrate the abuse he suffered.
“If you look at those pictures, how deplorable that jail cell was, how did they get to that point in the first place? It’s not fit for an animal.”
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