Jonathan Sanford
Jonathan Sanford was 18 years old and, according to his parents, had been planning to head off to college the fall before he died; attorneys describe him as a young man with no prior record who had his whole life ahead of him. He was held at the Dawson County Detention Center in Georgia in early June 2020 and was found dead in his cell the following morning, June 2, 2020. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation attributed his death to combined drug intoxication and ruled it an accident. His family's attorney, AJ Richman, says he was left alone and unmonitored in an individual cell despite signs of medical impairment, and the family has filed notice of a planned wrongful death lawsuit. The county and the sheriff's attorney have not accepted these allegations.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). The GBI ruled the death an accident from combined drug intoxication, while the family's attorneys allege negligence, inadequate medical screening, and delayed wellness checks by sheriff's office staff.
Reported by: Georgia Bureau of Investigation (outside investigators); family's attorneys (family or their lawyers); parents and attorney AJ Richman (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: The family's attorney announced a planned wrongful death lawsuit over Jonathan Sanford's death at the Dawson County Detention Center, and no settlement or award amount is reported.