Rodriguez Montez Burks
Rodriguez Montez Burks, 23, of Muskegon, was found dead in his cell at the Alger Correctional Facility in Michigan on July 20, 2017. The Michigan Department of Corrections said his cellmate was the suspect, and Michigan State Police investigated the death as a homicide. Inmates interviewed by Metro Times said they had repeatedly asked staff to separate the two men in the days before, and that guards and a unit manager refused. His estate, through a lawsuit filed on behalf of his mother, Dequita Burks, alleges staff ignored repeated threats from the cellmate and failed to separate them, and the cellmate was later convicted of first-degree murder.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). Inmates say staff refused repeated requests to separate the two men, and his estate's lawsuit says staff ignored threats from his cellmate and failed to separate them.
Reported by: Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman (the agency that held him); autopsy report; Michigan State Police (outside investigators); estate lawsuit filed by the Geoffrey Fieger law firm for his mother, Dequita Burks (family or their lawyers); inmates interviewed by Metro Times (witnesses).
Lawsuit: His estate, through his mother Dequita Burks, sued the warden and prison staff over his death, seeking damages.
Sources (5)
- UPDATE: Homicide: Cellmate charged with Homicide in Alger Correctional Facility death.
- Inmates: Michigan prisoner killed by cellmate for being gay, guards ignored repeated pleas for help
- Alger County inmate charged with first degree murder
- Estate of gay prisoner murdered by cellmate sues prison staff
- Deshawn Madden sentenced to prison for murder of cellmate