Javarick Gantt
Javarick Gantt, 34, was a deaf man who relied on sign language. He was described as gregarious and open-hearted, with many friends in the deaf community, and he left a young daughter; he had moved to the Baltimore area after growing up in Florida. He was held at the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center, where officers found him unresponsive in his shared cell on October 9, 2022, and he was pronounced dead a short time later. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, and police say his cellmate strangled him. His family's lawsuit says jail staff placed him with a volatile cellmate despite his vulnerability and failed to monitor the dorm the night he died, advocates and the ACLU said staff did not respond to his cries for help that night, and jail officials have declined to explain the housing assignment.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide by strangulation, and his family's lawsuit says staff placed him with a volatile cellmate and did not monitor the dorm that night, while advocates and the ACLU say staff ignored his cries for help.
Reported by: Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (spokesman Mark Vernarelli) (the agency that held him); Medical examiner's office (medical examiner or coroner); Police (outside investigators); Family lawsuit (attorney Andrew Slutkin) (family or their lawyers); Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates; Court (cellmate's guilty plea to murder) (court).
Lawsuit: His family sued over his death at the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center, alleging jail staff placed him with a volatile cellmate and failed to monitor the dorm; no settlement or award amount is reported.
News reports (11)
- DPSCS investigating death of detainee at Baltimore Central Booking - WBAL-TV
- State investigating after detainee dies at Baltimore's Central Booking
- Death of Central Booking detainee ruled a homicide, officials say
- Baltimore Central Booking detainee's death ruled homicide - WBAL-TV
- Harford County man accused in fatal bus stop stabbing now a suspect in deaf inmate death
- Inmate found dead in cell; 4 possibly overdose at Baltimore's Central Booking
- Cellmate accused of fatally strangling deaf man in Baltimore jail; advocates point to ‘major breakdowns’
- Harford County man gets life in prison for strangling deaf Baltimore cellmate to death, fatally stabbing man at bus stop
- Maryland man gets 2 life sentences for killing man with axe, murder of Baltimore cellmate
- Man gets life without parole in ‘axe murder’ and Baltimore jail strangulation death
- Maryland family alleges Baltimore jail staff failed to protect deaf man killed by cellmate