James Ware
James Ware, 53, had lung cancer that had spread to his brain, along with diabetes and coronary artery disease, and his friend Robert Francis said, 'He deserved so much better.' The Department of Corrections approved his medical parole in January, but he remained at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital Correctional Unit in Massachusetts because no approved placement was found, and he died there on April 2, 2026. His lawyer, Amy Belger, said bed availability and paperwork delayed his release, and that visitor restrictions and the hospital's refusal to keep him as a patient left him isolated, with visits refused until the Governor's Legal Counsel intervened. The DOC said it accommodated all requested visitors and allowed access before his death, and the accounts conflict over whether family and friends were with him at the end.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). His lawyer says he died of metastatic lung cancer while still held after medical parole was approved, with visitor restrictions and a hospital refusal leaving him isolated, while the Department of Corrections says it accommodated all requested visitors.
Reported by: Massachusetts Department of Correction (the agency that held him); his lawyer.