Lonnie Hamilton
Lonnie Hamilton, 22, died by suicide at Marcy Correctional Facility, a state prison near Syracuse, where he was held, and the claim that he hung himself with a sheet is recorded in a state judge's court ruling. His family in the Bronx, who had not spoken with him for a few months before his death, were not told of it and found out only when they searched the state prison website online. The family's attorney, Zachary Giampa, says he was buried at the prison without their knowledge and that they later had his body exhumed for their own funeral. A state judge found the corrections and mental health agencies negligent and awarded the family $1.5 million, and the state said the decision is being reviewed.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). A state judge ruled he hung himself with a sheet and found the corrections and mental health agencies negligent, while his family's attorney Zachary Giampa contends the official account is contested and the family was not told of his death.
Reported by: state judge Francis Collins (court); family attorney Zachary Giampa (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: A state judge found the state corrections and mental health agencies negligent in his death and awarded his family $1.5 million, though the state said the decision is under review.