Anthony Christie
Anthony Christie was an artist who welded Christmas presents and wrote songs for his family, and his mother describes him as a friendly man who could talk with anyone. He was a father to a son who was nearly nine when he died. On September 21, 2019, he was found hanging in his cell in the Intensive Management Unit at the Monroe Correctional Complex, less than a day after being placed there. His mother's lawsuit says staff ignored warning signs of his mental illness and suicide risk and did not follow required cell-check rules, and the state agreed to pay $960,000 in November 2024. An ombuds report found his death was possibly preventable, while the Department of Corrections has denied fault.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The corrections ombuds report found his death possibly preventable, and his mother Trina Christie's lawsuit says staff ignored warning signs of his mental illness and suicide risk and did not follow required cell-check rules, which the Department of Corrections denies.
Reported by: Office of the Corrections Ombuds (outside investigators); Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); Trina Christie's lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His mother, Trina Christie, sued the state Department of Corrections and officers over his death, and the state agreed to pay $960,000 in November 2024 before a federal judge dismissed the case on November 27.