Lilith Marcotte
Lilith Marcotte, a transgender woman, died at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County, Virginia, at age 32. The Virginia Department of Corrections gives the date as November 26, 2025; reporting on her family's lawsuit says she died on the evening of November 25. The state medical examiner's office ruled her death a homicide, with the cause given as asphyxia due to chest compression. The Virginia Department of Corrections agreed on September 1, 2026 to pay $2.7 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her family, without admitting liability. A local prosecutor's investigation and a request for recusal over alleged conflicts have also been reported.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff. The state medical examiner ruled the death a homicide from asphyxia due to chest compression, the Department of Corrections confirmed the homicide, and the family's wrongful death lawsuit settled for $2.7 million without an admission of liability.
Reported by: Virginia Department of Health (medical examiner or coroner); Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (medical examiner or coroner); Virginia Department of Corrections (the agency that held her); his family's wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued the Virginia Department of Corrections over her death, and the department agreed in September 2026 to pay $2.7 million to settle the wrongful death suit without admitting liability.