Kenny Williams
Kenny Williams, a 63-year-old musician and songwriter who played with the band Crazy Texas Gypsies, was held at Monroe Correctional Complex in Washington. He died there in June 2019 of breast cancer that had spread to his bones. His family says his cancer went untreated despite repeated requests for care, and the lawsuit says a lump found in May 2018 was not followed up promptly and he did not see an oncologist for about six months. The lawsuit also says an oncologist recommended immediate chemotherapy, which he never received. Washington agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle the family's wrongful-death lawsuit, and the Department of Corrections admitted its failure to provide adequate medical care was more likely than not a cause of his death. He left behind his widow, Dee, and their four children.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). Kenny's family, through a wrongful-death lawsuit that Washington settled for $3.75 million, says staff left his breast cancer untreated despite repeated requests for care, delayed scans, and never provided the chemotherapy an oncologist recommended.
Reported by: Kenny's family and their attorney Ed Budge, in a wrongful-death lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Washington Department of Corrections, which admitted its failure to offer adequate medical care was more likely than not a cause of his death (the agency that held him); Office of the Corrections Ombuds report (outside investigators).
Lawsuit: His family sued the state over his care at Monroe Correctional Complex and the state agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle the wrongful-death lawsuit.