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Brad Lane

40 years old · died January 2, 2021 · Oklahoma County Detention Center, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

Brad Lane, 40, was held at the Oklahoma County Detention Center in January 2021 when he was beaten to death in his cell by his cellmate on January 2. Friends and family describe him as smart, kind and good with children, and his girlfriend, Crystal Oldham, said he loved to draw and read. Court records say he screamed for help for roughly 40 minutes, that a required hourly check was missed, and that a prisoner's call for help went unanswered, while officers arrived later and found him unresponsive. The Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide from blunt force trauma, and the cellmate later pleaded guilty to the killing. Lane's family has said the jail failed to protect him, and in 2026 Oklahoma County agreed to pay $7 million to his family.

Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner ruled it a homicide from blunt force trauma; court records say a guard missed a required hourly check and a call for help went unanswered, and his family and girlfriend, Crystal Oldham, say he should have been protected from his cellmate and are pursuing legal action.

Reported by: Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Oklahoma County district attorney (outside investigators); court records; Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan; his family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); girlfriend Crystal Oldham (family or their lawyers).

Lawsuit: His estate sued Oklahoma County over his death in the Oklahoma County Detention Center, and the county agreed to pay $7 million to his family in 2026.

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