Keenan Michael Thomas
Keenan Thomas, a man from Pasco, was held at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, where he was found dead in his cell on October 17, 2019, after apparently dying many hours earlier. The Walla Walla County coroner and chief medical examiner J. Matthew Lacy found some evidence of death by neck compression but ruled the cause undetermined. His family's wrongful-death lawsuit alleges that his cellmate strangled him after the Department of Corrections overrode staff warnings about the cellmate, and the family says he was taking classes, had earned his GED, and hoped to be closer to his children.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). The Walla Walla County coroner and chief medical examiner found evidence of neck compression but ruled the cause undetermined, while his family's wrongful-death lawsuit alleges his cellmate strangled him after the Department of Corrections overrode staff warnings about the cellmate.
Reported by: Walla Walla County Coroner Richard Greenwood and chief medical examiner J. Matthew Lacy (medical examiner or coroner); his family's wrongful-death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit alleging that his cellmate strangled him after the Department of Corrections overrode staff warnings about the cellmate, and a judge ruled the state cannot dispute that the cellmate killed him.