Robert Leroy Cotton
Robert Leroy Cotton, 28, was held at the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix. According to court documents, another person held there attacked him in his cell on May 1, 2008, stomping on his head and choking him for 15 to 20 minutes. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said the assault was captured on surveillance video and was the first assault death at the jail since it opened. The sheriff's office also said staff did not see the attack until the attacker dragged Cotton out of the cell.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). Court documents say another inmate stomped Robert's head and choked him for 15 to 20 minutes in his cell; the sheriff's office says staff did not see the attack until the attacker dragged him out of the cell.
Reported by: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); court documents.