William Farmer
William Farmer, 36, was a twin brother to Robin Farmer, who described him as a bright person fascinated by aviation and an animal lover who adopted senior dogs from the shelter, and his family had roots in Alaska including several generations of bush pilots. He was held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex in a two-person cell, where Robin Farmer's lawsuit says a cellmate attacked him, and Alaska State Troopers say the assault caused a traumatic brain injury. He was taken to an Anchorage hospital, and his family chose to remove him from a ventilator on January 3, 2025; he died on January 6. The Department of Corrections has not counted his death as in-custody because he was released on bail or pretrial supervision before he died, and his family and the ACLU of Alaska question why two men with diagnosed schizophrenia were housed together; the state denies responsibility and has asked the court to pause the civil case.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed; neglect alleged). Troopers and prosecutors say his cellmate beat him, and his family's civil lawsuit says the Department of Corrections placed him in a dangerous cell and failed to stop the assault, which the state denies.
Reported by: Alaska State Troopers (outside investigators); Alaska Department of Law; Alaska Department of Corrections internal investigation (the agency that held him); Robin Farmer's civil lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Anchorage Daily News (reporters); ACLU of Alaska (advocates).
Lawsuit: His twin sister, Robin Farmer, sued the Alaska Department of Corrections over the assault that led to his death, and the state has asked the court to pause the civil case until the criminal case concludes.
News reports (6)
- Anchorage jail inmate dies after December assault
- ‘Other people’s beloveds’: The decisions and delays that preceded a fatal beating at Anchorage’s jail
- 'Not safe': The decisions and delays that preceded a fatal beating at Anchorage's jail
- Alaska is reporting 18 in-custody deaths so far this year, tying a record
- Alaska Department of Corrections reports record-tying 18 deaths in custody this year
- State seeks delay in wrongful death lawsuit over fatal beating at Anchorage jail