Matthew Harrell
Matthew Harrell died while held in federal custody. His parents have sued the University of Alabama at Birmingham and two pathologists, saying a prison warden authorized an autopsy without their consent and that his organs were kept afterward. According to Courthouse News, a Jefferson County judge allowed the lawsuit to proceed in August 2025.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined. His parents' lawsuit against UAB and two pathologists concerns organs kept after an autopsy the warden authorized without family consent, and it does not state how he died.
Lawsuit: His parents sued UAB and two individual pathologists over the retention of his organs after an autopsy performed without family consent, and in August 2025 a Jefferson County judge allowed the lawsuit to proceed.