Je'Vion Benham
Je'Vion Benham was 21, and his mother, Robin Benham, said he had been looking forward to his release and hoped to become an inspirational speaker to encourage young people. He was held at Valdosta State Prison in Georgia, where he was found dead in his cell around Christmas Eve 2025. The Lowndes County coroner's office ruled the death a homicide caused by strangulation and estimated he died about two days before he was found, and the coroner publicly criticized the prison for not noticing sooner. Attorney Ben Crump, citing the coroner, says the strangulation was believed to be the work of his cellmate, and the family and attorney Lisa Park dispute how the two men were housed together and say his body went unnoticed for days. The Georgia Department of Corrections had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). The Lowndes County coroner ruled the death a homicide by strangulation and criticized the prison for not finding him for two days; Ben Crump and the family say he was housed with a cellmate despite asking for protective housing and that his body went unnoticed for days.
Reported by: Lowndes County Coroner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Ben Crump and attorney Lisa Park (family or their lawyers); his family; Georgia Department of Corrections (the agency that held him).