Marcus Elliott
Marcus Elliott, 22, was a man whose mother, Marcia Riley, said he was working to fix his life and was eager to return to Atlanta and build a future. He died while held at the Collin County Jail in Texas; the state custodial death report lists July 1, 2007, while a 2021 D Magazine account gives June 29, 2007. According to that account, detention officers restrained him for nearly 20 minutes and strapped him into a restraint bed. The sheriff's office and local media first reported a suicide, but the Collin County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a homicide.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed; neglect alleged). The Collin County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide after jailers struggled with him and strapped him into a restraint bed, while the sheriff's office and local media first reported a suicide. The sources do not say whether the suicide watch was properly maintained.
Reported by: Collin County Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Collin County Jail detention officers (the agency that held him); Texas Office of the Attorney General (outside investigators).