Didier J. Carias Jr.
Didier J. Carias, 29, had long suffered from schizophrenia and paranoia, his parents say, and when he was taking his medication they remember him as a happy young man who loved going to church, listening to hip hop, and spending time with his brother and six-year-old nephew. He was held at Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury, North Carolina, where his parents say he was placed in solitary confinement and could not speak with his family. He was found hanging on September 26, 2022, 32 days after entering the prison. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety said the death appears to be a suicide and is under investigation, and his parents question why a man with such severe psychological problems was placed in solitary.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (neglect alleged). The North Carolina Department of Public Safety says the death appears to be a suicide, while his parents say he had long suffered from schizophrenia and paranoia and question why prison staff placed him in solitary confinement.
Reported by: North Carolina Department of Public Safety (the agency that held him); his parents.