Sylvainus Cole III
Sylvainus Cole III was a former standout athlete who earned a football scholarship to Oklahoma State University, and he was a father. He died on April 3, 2023, at Whiteville Correctional Facility in Tennessee, a prison run by the private company CoreCivic, and the cause given was a fentanyl overdose. His mother, Christine Williams, says he was not a drug user when he entered prison and that understaffing and negligence contributed to his death. CoreCivic says it has a zero-tolerance policy on contraband and declined to comment on pending litigation. Williams has filed lawsuits against CoreCivic and says she still wants answers about how drugs got into the facility.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). His mother, Christine Williams, says understaffing and negligence at the CoreCivic-run prison contributed to his fentanyl overdose, and she has filed lawsuits against CoreCivic.
Reported by: Christine Williams (mother) (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His mother filed lawsuits against CoreCivic, the private company that runs Whiteville Correctional Facility, over his 2023 death, and the litigation is pending with no amount reported.