Lavar Valentin
Lavar Valentin, 35, was held at Dade Correctional Institution in Florida, where he had asked to be moved because he feared his cellmate. He was found strangled in his cell in the summer of 2014, and the Miami Herald and a police report describe the cellmate as the alleged killer. Sources say isolation rules and half-hour security checks were not followed, while the state Department of Corrections said both men were found during a routine security check and that procedures were followed. The Florida Department of Corrections recorded the death as a homicide, and it was under investigation with no charges as of the report. Others described him as timid and non-threatening, and he was scheduled to be released before the end of that year.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). The Miami Herald reported that his cellmate strangled him, and that staff did not follow isolation rules or the half-hour security checks after he asked to be moved away from the cellmate.
Reported by: Miami Herald (reporters); Florida Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); police report.