John Cantrello
Men in his dormitory knew John Cantrello, 69, as Cap. He was held at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, where men in his dormitory recalled him struggling to breathe and calling for help several times, and said he was left in his bunk. The prison said his temperature stayed below its fever threshold. He was taken by ambulance to a Baton Rouge hospital, where he tested positive for COVID-19, and died on April 18, 2020. The state corrections department reported his death as the first death in its system during the pandemic.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (neglect alleged). According to the case summary, he struggled to breathe and called for help several times, but staff left him in his bunk until he was taken to a hospital, where he tested positive for COVID-19.