Todd Heatley
Todd Heatley, 33, was a former DJ who earned his GED, read widely, and talked with his mother about philosophers and electricity, she says. He was held at Wende Correctional Facility in New York, and in November 2014 he was found hanging in his cell from a torn sheet tied to the cell door, a death classified as a suicide. His mother says that days earlier she saw him disoriented and asked staff to get him specialized medical care. A state medical review board concluded that staff failed to recognize his escalating symptoms and that his death may have been prevented, but his mother says she never received that review.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (neglect alleged). A state medical review board concluded that staff failed to recognize his escalating symptoms and his death may have been prevented, and his mother says she asked staff for specialized medical care and never received the review.
Reported by: news reporting on the death; state medical review board.