Gordon Crockett
Gordon Crockett was 69 years old, the father of four children, and less than a year from release when he died of bladder cancer at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Washington. He had planned to live with his daughter and help care for her three young children. His lawyers say he had urinary symptoms from March 2021 that prison providers attributed to an enlarged prostate, and that the cancer was not diagnosed until January 2023, when it had spread to his spine. A lawsuit against the Department of Corrections says the department delayed diagnosis and timely treatment, and the state has agreed to pay $4.5 million to his estate. The Department of Corrections' own prison mortality review committee reportedly identified systemic failures.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). Attorney Dan Fiorito III and a lawsuit against the Department of Corrections say prison providers attributed urinary symptoms from March 2021 to an enlarged prostate and did not diagnose the bladder cancer until January 2023, after it had spread to his spine.
Reported by: attorney Dan Fiorito III (family or their lawyers); lawsuit against the Department of Corrections (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His estate sued the Washington Department of Corrections over delayed diagnosis of his bladder cancer and the state agreed to pay $4.5 million.