Jameson Leezer
Jameson Leezer, 37, grew up in Bolingbrook and Lisle. He was found strangled in his cell at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet on April 2, 2009. His cellmate, Richard Conner, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to killing him. Prison records had classified Leezer as vulnerable, and other people held at the prison said the two men had asked to be separated; his family's 2010 lawsuit says he should not have been placed with that cellmate, and the suit was settled in November 2011 on undisclosed terms. His uncle William said the family was angry that the killing took so long to be charged, and he planned to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Corrections Department.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). Prosecutors say his cellmate, Richard Conner, strangled him, and Conner pleaded guilty; his family's 2010 lawsuit says prison staff ignored his vulnerable classification and his and other inmates' requests to be separated from Conner.
Reported by: Assistant State's Attorney Steve Platek; Will County prosecutors; Richard Conner's guilty plea; Jameson Leezer's family (family or their lawyers); other inmates.
Custody: Serving a sentence.
Lawsuit: His family sued in 2010 over his death, and the suit settled in November 2011 on undisclosed terms.