BESSEMER, Ala. (WIAT) — In 2023, 27 men died while incarcerated at the William Donaldson Correctional Facility; Over a quarter of the deaths were due to fentanyl overdose.
Of the 27, seven died of fentanyl overdose and three died to suicide. One died as the result of a homicide.
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The men, and how and when they died, are listed in order of date below, as reported by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office:
On January 7, 33-year-old Kevin Marcus Ritter was found unresponsive in his cell; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. His death was ruled an accident as a result of Bromazolam (a benzodiazepine) overdose. He had been serving a 20-year sentence for a 2014 robbery conviction out of Mobile County.
On January 28, 30-year-old Trenton Jamario White was found unresponsive in his cell; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. His cause of death was never determined.
On January 29, 61-year-old Michael Thomas Medders was found unresponsive in his cell; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. He died from the effects of chronic substance use/abuse. He had been serving a life sentence following a 1989 murder conviction out of Etowah County.
On February 8, 62-year-old Michael Wayne Perry was found unresponsive by medical staff. It was initially reported that he was being treated for a “natural disease” at the time of his death; It was later revealed that he died of complications of heart failure and likely suffered from a heart disease such as Myocarditis, Valvular disease, or Arrhythmia. He had been serving a life sentence following a 1979 robbery and murder conviction out of Montgomery County.
On March 4, 69-year-old Bobby Ray Bradley was found dead on his bed in an open-style dormitory. He died a natural death from congestive heart failure; It was noted that he also had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and diabetes mellitus. He had been serving a life sentence following a 1989 sodomy conviction out of Calhoun County.
On March 5, 51-year-old Tony Edwards Evans was found unresponsive in his cell; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. His cause of death was never determined. He had been serving a life sentence following a 2005 conviction for murder, rape and sexual abuse out of Houston County.
On March 28, 57-year-old James Clayton Nelson was found dead; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. His death was ruled as an accident as a result of a fentanyl overdose.
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On April 16, 69-year-old Donald Gerald Simmons was found unresponsive in the prison infirmary where he was being treated for “multiple significant health issues.” It was later determined that Simmons died a natural death from Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease; He also suffered from COPD. Simmons had been serving a life sentence for a 1986 robbery, rape and kidnapping conviction out of Mobile County.
On May 3, 45-year-old Thomas Doyle Crowe was found unresponsive in his cell; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. Crowe’s death was ruled as an accident due to a fentanyl overdose.
On May 18, 72-year-old Charles Brasewell was found unresponsive in the prison infirmary where he was being treated for “multiple significant health issues.” Brasewell died a natural death due to Pneumonia; He also dealt with COPD. Brasewell had been serving a life sentence on a 1986 robbery conviction out of Covington County.
On May 24, 26-year-old Ya’Towi Les’Juan Moore was found unresponsive in his cell; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. Moore’s death was ruled an accident due to a fentanyl overdose. He had been serving a sentence for robbery from a 2021 conviction out of Tuscaloosa County.
On June 3, 48-year-old William Lynn Smith was found unresponsive in his private cell by staff. His death was ruled a suicide. Smith had been serving a life sentence following a 2018 murder conviction out of Cullman County.
On June 17, 41-year-old Greg Leon Nard died after he was found unresponsive in his cell three days prior; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. His death was ruled an accident due to complications of a fentanyl and methamphetamine overdose. Nard had been serving a life sentence for a 2009 capital murder conviction out of Lauderdale County.
On June 21, 36-year-old Joshua Aaron Odom was found unresponsive by correctional staff. His death was ruled a suicide. Odom had been serving a life sentence for a 2007 conviction for rape out of Mobile County.
On June 22, 28-year-old Steven Lloyd Billiot was found unresponsive in his cell; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. His death was ruled an accident as a result of a methamphetamine and fentanyl overdose.
On June 24, 51-year-old Eric Tyronne Person was found unresponsive in his dorm area and taken to the prison infirmary, then to UAB hospital where he died. Later, his cause of death was determined to be Sepsis due to “necrotizing soft tissue infection;” He also suffered from diabetes mellitus. His death was ruled as due to natural causes.
On July 1, 29-year-old Gerald Denorch Cochran Jr. was found by correctional staff who were doing a routine safety check; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. His death was ruled an as accident due to a methamphetamine and fentanyl overdose. Cochran had been serving a sentence for a 2014 conviction on burglary, assault and possession of a controlled substance out of Houston County.
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On August 1, 54-year-old Mark Len Johnson died at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham where he had been taken on June 12 for medical treatment “regarding a natural disease he had been diagnosed with.” It was later determined that his cause of death was Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease. Johnson had been serving a life sentence for a 1993 murder conviction out of Sumter County.
On August 7, 32-year-old Lashun Cortex White was found unresponsive in his cell. His death was determined to be an accident due to a fentanyl overdose. White had been serving a 21-year sentence for first-degree robbery out of Houston County.
On September 5, 59-year-old Sam Kevin Cox was found unresponsive in the prison infirmary where he was being treated for “significant natural diseases.” It was later determined that he died of natural causes due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease; He also suffered from hypertension. Cox had been serving a life sentence for a 1992 murder conviction out of Pike County.
On September 7, 54-year-old Tommy Tunstall was found unresponsive by his cellmate in their two-man cell. His death was ruled a suicide. Tunstall had been serving a life sentence for a 1996 conviction on robbery in the first degree and theft of property in the second degree out of Monroe County.
On October 5, 70-year-old Mitchell Crews was taken to UAB due to a “declining health condition,” where he died; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. It was later determined that he died of natural causes due to Cardiac Amyloidosis. Crews had been serving a life sentence for a 1992 murder conviction out of Houston County.
On October 13, 58-year-old Tommy Powell died after being transported to UAB Hospital. Powell died of natural causes due to complications of lung cancer. It was additionally determined that the means of death were Malignancy NOS, including all organ systems.
On October 15, 33-year-old Cedric Lavoris Watts died after being transported to UAB Hospital. Watts’ death was ruled a homicide. He suffered injuries to his heart and lungs due to stab wounds in his torso.
On November 22, 29-year-old Jason Wayne Brooks died at the correctional facility. The cause of his death is pending further autopsy results.
On December 3, 73-year-old Doyle Lee Farr died of what is believed to be natural causes; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. The cause of his death is pending further autopsy results. Farr had been serving a life sentence for a 2000 murder conviction out of Cullman County.
On December 11, 38-year-old Larry Jamelle Amerson was found unresponsive in his cell by staff; There were no signs of trauma or evidence of foul play. His direct cause of death is pending additional lab studies. Amerson had been serving a life sentence for murder from 2004 conviction out of Jefferson County.
CBS 42 News contacted the Alabama Department of Corrections for comment but have not received a response at the time of this publication.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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