The family of a man who passed away inside a US jail after being left to rot in conditions that were compared to a 'death chamber' have told how he suffered one of the worst deaths imaginable.
LaShawn Thompson was found unresponsive in his cell in a psychiatric wing of the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, on 13 September, 2022, while swarmed in insects.
The 35-year-old, who had schizophrenia, had been arrested in June that year on a misdemeanour simple battery charge against police officials - but did not have the funds to post bail.
During his three month stint at the Fulton County Jail, he lost a whopping 18 percent of his body weight.
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Thompson was then found dead in his cell, while an autopsy released by the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office listed his cause of death as 'undetermined'.
But his family suspected foul play and ordered an independent medical review in the hopes of getting to the bottom of what had happened to him in May last year, and the results shocked the world.
It emerged that Thompson had been living in horrific conditions and was 'neglected to death', while suffering from 'dehydration, malnutrition and severe body insect infestation', which were each listed as contributors to his passing.
The autopsy, obtained by ABC News, also listed 'untreated decompensated schizophrenia' as another factor.
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According to attorneys for the Thompson family, Ben Crump and Michael Harper, the 35-year-old had passed away with his eyes open - while his eyelids were surrounded by bugs.
He had been suffering from a severe body insect infestation, which included lice and bed bugs, before his death.
Harper said last year that jail officials had 'literally watched his health decline until he died', adding that the cell was 'was not fit for a diseased animal' and the environment he endured was 'inexcusable and deplorable'.
"They left him there essentially," he continued.
"And they had a plan to take him to the medical observation unit, but their plan never happened, and they found him dead, eaten by these bed bugs."
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Crump said the inmate has over 1,000 bites on his body, while creepy crawlies were found in his mouth, ears and nose.
Horrifying images of the cell in the psychiatric wing that Thompson was housed in then emerged, showing it covered in filth, littered with debris and crawling with insects.
Attorneys also claimed previously that his mental illness meant he was incapable of caring for himself in the cell.
The victim's younger brother, Brad McCrae, described the pictures as 'horrific' and said the cell 'looks like a death chamber', adding: "It was heartbreaking because nobody should be seen like that. Nobody should see that."
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Thompson's family went on to launch legal action against Fulton County and demanded that a criminal investigation into his death be launched.
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said at the time: "We understand that this is absolutely unconscionable, point blank," while adding that it was 'painfully clear there were a number of failures that led to Mr. Thompson's tragic death'.
On 2 August, 2023, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted 6-0 to approve a $4 million (£3.14m) settlement for the family, while Labat promised 'sweeping changes' at the jail had been made.
Michael Potter, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky specialising in bed bugs, said that bed bugs are rarely deadly, but noted: "Bed bugs feed on blood and very large numbers of bed bugs feed on very large amounts of blood."
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He added that he'd 'never seen anything quite to this level' when discussing the infestation in Thompson's cell, saying that it could have also caused a dangerous allergic reaction.
Following the verdict, Harper said the family would not be commenting on the settlement but added: "The Fulton County Commissioners’ vote speaks for itself."
The Fulton County Jail reportedly received an additional $500,000 to address issues such as 'bed bugs, lice and other vermin' at the facility as well as updated sanitary protocols.
Olivia Burke