John Derek Chamberlain

John Derek Chamberlain worked as a computer technician, and his father, George Chamberlain, says that as a boy he wanted to become a minister. He was held at the Theo Lacy jail in Orange, California, in October 2006, and his father says he had pleaded for days to be moved out of his ward because of threats from other men held there. Other men beat him in a barracks cubicle out of sight of deputies, and prosecutors say the attack killed him; a deputy told investigators he was watching television in a nearby guard station, and the family's lawsuit says the beating lasted at least 20 minutes while no one stepped in. Six men have been charged in his death, and his father says deputies failed to protect him and delayed medical care, while a man held at the jail claimed deputies helped set up the attack, which the sheriff's officials and the deputies deny.

Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). Prosecutors and the autopsy say fellow inmates beat him to death, while his father's wrongful death claim says deputies failed to stop the beating and delayed medical care, and sheriff's officials deny that deputies helped set up the attack.

Reported by: Orange County Sheriff's Department investigators (the agency that held him); autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Joseph I. Cohen (medical examiner or coroner); George Chamberlain, his father, and his wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Orange County prosecutors; Orange County special grand jury (court).

Lawsuit: His father sued Orange County over the death, and the Board of Supervisors approved a $600,000 settlement in February 2008.

Sources (9)

• Jail death suit blames county Orange County Register, March 8, 2007
• Death sentence: The deadly jail beating of John Chamberlain Orange County Register, March 28, 2007
• Supervisors to probe jail killing Orange County Register, March 30, 2007
• County pays $600,000 in jail killing Orange County Register, February 7, 2008
• Jo Ann Galisky Orange County Register, April 7, 2008
• Judge in jail-death case won’t step down Orange County Register, January 26, 2010
• Pathologist: Inmate beaten on every part of body Orange County Register, August 31, 2011
• Inmates get 15 years in jail-beating death Orange County Register, January 27, 2012
• ‘Shot-caller’ gets 15 years for jail-beating death Orange County Register, April 13, 2012