Kevin Eli
Kevin Eli was 29 and from Queens, New York. His mother, Tina, described him as a playful and generous man who dreamed as a child of becoming a police officer. On March 7, 2017, he was being transported from Virginia to Florida by PTS, a private extradition company, and died near Fort Benning, Georgia, after about 11 days in transit. Prisoners on the bus told The Marshall Project that he was handcuffed behind his back after an altercation, complained of chest pain and said he could not breathe, and that guards refused to call 911 after he was placed in a segregation cage. An Army CID spokesman said foul play was not suspected, and PTS said it had begun an internal investigation and that an autopsy was pending.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). Prisoners on the bus say guards cuffed him behind his back, refused to call 911 after he complained of chest pain and trouble breathing, and left him in a segregation cage, while an Army CID spokesman said foul play was not suspected.
Reported by: Prisoners on the bus, interviewed by The Marshall Project (witnesses); Army CID spokesman (outside investigators).