Eddie Gaskins
Eddie Gaskins, 32, was a father of four from rural Berkeley County, South Carolina, and a son, brother and cousin. His cousin, Cassandra Gaskins, said he loved hunting, fishing and spending time with family, and that he made people laugh. On April 15, 2018, he was one of seven men killed in a riot at Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville that lasted more than seven hours, and the Lee County coroner ruled that he bled to death from stab wounds in a homicide. His family's wrongful death lawsuit against the South Carolina Department of Corrections says staff failed to monitor people held at the prison, failed to provide medical care and failed to supervise officers, and that transfers of rival gang members to Lee and contraband made the prison more dangerous. The department has blamed contraband cellphones for the violence and declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). The coroner ruled he bled to death from stab wounds in a homicide, while his family's wrongful death lawsuit says staff failed to monitor inmates, provide medical care and supervise officers, and that transfers of rival gang members made the riot worse.
Reported by: Lee County Coroner Larry Logan (medical examiner or coroner); South Carolina Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); family's wrongful death lawsuit against the S.C. Department of Corrections (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued the South Carolina Department of Corrections for wrongful death, and his death is among those covered by a $6 million settlement, requested in 2021, that would end more than 80 lawsuits over the riot, with no amount reported for his share.
Sources (58)
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