ATLANTA — A family got the devastating call that their loved one had died following incarceration at the Fulton County Jail. Now, they are searching for answers as the infamous facility has been in the headlines for weeks following multiple inmate deaths.
According to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, 24-year-old Shawndre Delmore died three days after being found unresponsive in his cell and being taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. They said the jail staff tried to perform lifesaving measures on him until other medical staff arrived.
His family and their attorneys held a news conference on Thursday. Family attorney Mawuli Davis said that he and his office plan to send a letter to the jail to gather video evidence of the moments before the 24-year-old's death.
"The family is devastated by this loss," Delmore's family attorney Mawuli Davis said in a statement. "We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to help this family get the answers they deserve so they can begin to grieve."
Delmore's mother and grandmother jumped on a plane from Louisiana as soon as they heard the heartbreaking news.
"My son did not deserve to die like this. He had his whole life ahead of him. I wasn't expecting to see my son in the condition he was in," said Natasha Holoman, his mother.
His grandmother, Patricia Delmore, said that Shawndre was loving and compassionate.
"He had a great smile and he would do anything for anyone. It's unfortunate that this has happened to him. We would like to know why," his grandmother said.
Family members are stumped about their loved one's death. They said he walked into the jail as a healthy 24-year-old man. Speculation is brewing amongst family members and attorneys about how Delmore died.
Attorneys said they do not believe Delmore's death was natural, but do not have any evidence to back this claim at this time. Attorneys are currently looking into whether his death was a part of a some kind of medical malpractice.
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Since September 2022, the sheriff's office said they've had 17 in-custody deaths. That includes several that have made headlines just in the last month.
The Fulton County Jail has been in the national spotlight after the family of 35-year-old Lashawn Thompson said he died while in custody, alleging he was eaten alive by insects and bedbugs while living in filth behind bars. The family reached a $4 million settlement with Fulton County last month in the case.
Other families have also come forward, demanding answers for their loved ones who also died while in custody.
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it opened a civil investigation, citing it found significant justification to look into jail conditions.
As for the Delmore case, authorities said APD will conduct a death investigation and the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy.
Attorney said they are looking into opening a thorough investigation into how the inmate died.