Kelly Damon Harding
Kelly Damon Harding, 48, was held at the Pinellas County Jail in Largo, Florida, when he died on July 21, 2013. His brother, Earl Harding of St. Petersburg, said he was shocked by the death and had last visited him at the jail in February. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Harding's cellmate broke bones in his neck and asphyxiated him with toilet paper shortly before 1 a.m. that Sunday. Deputies found Harding unconscious and in cardiac arrest, and he died after being taken to a hospital. The sheriff's office said the cell was not under camera surveillance.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says Harding's cellmate stuffed wet toilet paper down his throat and strangled him, and the cell was not monitored, with the death happening minutes before a routine deputy check.
Reported by: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.