Donald Nelson
Donald Nelson, 58, was held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California, when a cellmate attacked him in a holding cell on May 1, 2020. He was taken to a hospital with a brain bleed and fractured spine and died there on June 19. The Alameda County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure resulting from the assault, according to the coroner and prosecutors. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office did not publicly announce the death, and the sheriff said the office does not always release information on every death. The cellmate has pleaded not guilty to murder, and it is not clear what the two men were fighting about.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody. A cellmate beat Donald Nelson in a holding cell at Santa Rita Jail in May 2020, and the Alameda County coroner ruled his death, after weeks in hospital, a result of pneumonia and respiratory failure caused by the assault.
Reported by: Alameda County Coroner (medical examiner or coroner); Alameda County Sheriff's Office probable cause report (the agency that held him); prosecutors.