Inmate in US State of Georgia Dies After Being 'Eaten Alive' by Bugs

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A prisoner in the US state of Georgia was eaten alive by insects in his cell after being detained on a misdemeanor battery charge, his family and their attorney told US media on Thursday.

Family members of the inmate, Lashawn Thompson, age 35, are now demanding a criminal investigation into his death.

"The medical records show he was deteriorating. No one did anything to help him as far as we know. No assistance was provided," Michael Harper, an attorney representing Thompson's three siblings, exclusively told Newsweek.

"They put out a record that they had planned to transfer him to the medical observation unit — that was in the plans. Before that could happen he was found dead, infested with bed bugs and insects."

Photographs released by Harper and Thompson's family show his prison cell in the Fulton County Jail fitted with rusting metal furniture, which along with the walls, floor and toilet appear to be covered in filth.

In describing the conditions under which Thompson was housed, Harper said the area was not fit for a diseased animal, adding that the 35-year-old did not deserve his fate.

"This is the most inhumane inmate death I’ve seen."

The family of Lashawn Thompson, an inmate who died inside a Fulton Co. Jail cell last year, is calling for sweeping changes. The 35-year-old's family say he was "eaten alive by insects and bed bugs." Story at 6pm. @ATLNewsFirst pic.twitter.com/vTfeVH7Cd5

— Zac Summers (@ZacOnTV) April 12, 2023

Thompson’s family said in a statement that staff literally watched their brother's health decline until he died. Harper also said, that a detention officer allegedly refused to administer CPR to Thompson because she was rattled after discovering Thompson’s body, which had been bitten by insects and bugs.

A report by a medical examiner stated that the cause of death was "undetermined," but also noted that "the decedent's body was covered in bed bugs."

A local rights group, the Southern Center for Human Rights, has previously stated that the Fulton County Jail has undergone outbreaks of lice and scabies and has for decades suffered from overcrowding and mismanagement.