Tamarquis Ashanti Phillips
Tamarquis Ashanti Phillips, 38, was transferred to Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina from a county jail in May 2017. His family's lawsuit says he needed three anti-epileptic medications and asked for them several times, but his prison medical record shows no sign he received them. Four days after he arrived, he was found unresponsive in his cell, and prison records list epilepsy as the cause of death. The government denied wrongdoing, and the family's lawsuit was later settled.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). Prison records list epilepsy as the cause of death, while his family's lawsuit says staff never gave him the three anti-epileptic medications he repeatedly requested.
Reported by: Federal Bureau of Prisons records obtained by NPR (the agency that held him); his family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued over his death in federal custody, the government denied wrongdoing, and the lawsuit was settled for an amount not reported.