Marcus Donald
Marcus Donald, 38, was remembered by his family as someone who made everyone at the dinner table laugh, loved banana pudding, and helped his mother. In November 2022 he died in a cell at the Shelby County Jail in Memphis, where he was being held. Court records and prosecutors attribute his death to strangulation by a cellmate. A family lawsuit says he was telling guards he was ready to be released and should have been let out about twelve hours earlier, and that guards did not respond to his pleas or to other men's calls for help. Attorney Jake Brown says video shows no staff entered the cellblock for about an hour and 19 minutes while other men tried to get help.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). Prosecutors and court records say his cellmate strangled him; his family's lawsuit says he should have been released on a time-served sentence hours earlier and that guards did not respond to his pleas or to other detainees' calls for help, and attorney Jake Brown says video shows no staff entered the cellblock for about 79 minutes.
Reported by: State of Tennessee prosecutors (court); court records; Donald's family and lawsuit (family or their lawyers); attorney Jake Brown (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued the Shelby County Sheriff and the jail over his death in 2022, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.