Julio Guerrero
Julio Guerrero, 23, died on February 10, 2015, in his cell at Utah State Prison, where he was held. Prison officials found him dead after another inmate reported a problem in the cell, and an autopsy found he died from blunt force trauma to the neck that caused asphyxia. His cellmate, who had been placed in the cell about a day earlier, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in his death. His mother, Hilda Guerrero, is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit on behalf of his estate, which says the prison housed the two men together despite known risks and failed to repair a broken cell call button, leaving him unable to summon help.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). The autopsy and criminal charges say his cellmate killed him by blunt force trauma to the neck, and the cellmate pleaded guilty to manslaughter; his family's federal lawsuit says the prison housed them together despite known risks and failed to repair a broken cell call button.
Reported by: autopsy as cited in criminal charges against his cellmate; Utah State Prison officials (the agency that held him); his family's federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued the Utah Department of Corrections in federal court over the prison housing him with a cellmate despite known risks and failing to repair a broken cell call button; no settlement or award amount was reported.