Ever since LaShawn Thompson’s death, his surviving family members have had questions.
Thompson, 35, passed away while in police custody in Fulton County in 2022, and Thompson’s official autopsy returned with his cause of death “undetermined.”
Thompson’s family believes that unsanitary conditions in Thompson’s cell while being held in the prison’s psychiatric wing played a factor in his demise, the family’s attorney Ben Crump said in a statement.
“His cell was found in deplorable conditions and he had insect bites in his ears, mouth, nose, and all over his body,” the statement read.
It also included an official statement from Crump himself: “It is completely unacceptable to force inmates to live in appalling conditions where they are subjected to insects, grime, and infections. No one should be treated that way.”
Now, they hope to get a more definitive answer thanks to a second autopsy, but this one isn’t coming from the state.
Instead, former NFL quarterback turned activist Colin Kaepernick has said he would pay for Thompson to get a new autopsy.
“We want to thank Colin Kaepernick for helping this family get to the truth and soon,” Crump said at a news conference announcing the development.
Generally, the price of an autopsy can run between $20,000 and $50,000.
Since Thompson’s death, the sheriff’s office has admitted that the facility is “dilapidated and eroding,” and has committed $500,000 to get the insect problem under control, according to WABE.
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