Marcus Donald
Marcus Donald was held at the Shelby County Jail on Poplar Avenue in Memphis when he died on November 17, 2022. Court records list his death as a homicide by strangulation. A family lawsuit says another man held in the jail strangled him in his cell after threatening him. The lawsuit also says Marcus should have been released that day, and that guards did not respond to his pleas or to other people's calls for help.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). Court records and the family's lawsuit say another detainee strangled him in his cell, and the lawsuit says guards did not respond to his pleas or to other detainees' calls for help.
Reported by: court records; family lawsuit.
Lawsuit: His family sued Shelby County over his death in the Shelby County Jail, alleging he should have been released on a time-served sentence and that guards ignored calls for help before another detainee strangled him; no settlement or award amount was reported.