William Sires
William Sires, 72, used a cane and was still walking laps around part of the prison on the afternoon of August 12, 2014, according to court documents. He died that day at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts, where he was held. Court documents say three other men held at the facility trapped him in a cell and beat him, and surveillance video captured part of the events. An autopsy attributed his death to blunt-force trauma to the head, with asphyxiation also likely playing a role. The criminal case against the three men is ongoing.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody. Court documents and the district attorney's office say fellow inmates trapped William Sires in a cell and beat him to death, and an autopsy found blunt-force trauma to the head was the cause of death.
Reported by: autopsy; court documents; Paul Jarvey, spokesman for Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. (outside investigators).