Georgia Inmate’s Death Identified As Homicide Due to Severe Neglect of Health

The death of Lashawn Thompson in 2022 was identified as homicide due to Fulton County Jail’s severe neglect of his physical and mental health. Reports say the Georgia inmate was taken into custody after facing charges of a misdemeanor assault.

In September 2022, Lashawn Thompson, then 35, reportedly died while being held in Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia for a misdemeanor assault charge. Michael Harper, the attorney for Thompson’s family, states that the Georgia inmate was placed in the psychiatric wing for 3 months before his death due to mental health issues.

According to Valencia, the medical examiner’s office of Fulton County initially listed the Georgia inmate’s death as undetermined. Furthermore, the report revealed that schizoaffective disorder and acute and bipolar exacerbation were also listed as “other conditions”.

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Georgia Inmate Died Due to Severe Neglect

However, an article in ABC News states that an independent medical assessment listed “untreated decompensated schizophrenia” as an instrument to Thompson’s death. This is because the Georgia inmate also suffered from malnutrition, dehydration, and severe body insect infestation which includes bed bugs and lice.

This independent assessment was reportedly conducted by Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., the chair of pathology at Howard University and a board-certified forensic pathologist. According to Mitchell Jr., the Georgia inmate received minimal care for 43 days despite requiring daily care due to his mental illness.

Due to this, Mitchell Jr. believes that the Georgia inmate died due to severe neglect. The forensic pathologist concluded that the combination of malnutrition, dehydration, and rapid weight loss was complicated by untreated decompensated schizophrenia and led to Thompson’s fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

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