A New York City official tells The Associated Press that a mentally ill homeless veteran who died behind bars last month “essentially baked to death” in a jail cell that overheated to more than 100 degrees.
Fifty-six-year-old Jerome Murdough had been charged with trespassing and placed in an observation unit for inmates with mental illnesses at Rikers Island.
Four city officials say Murdough, who took anti-psychotic and anti-seizure medication, apparently did not open a small vent to let cool air into his cell, as other inmates did. Officials also said he was not checked for hours, in violation of department protocol.
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The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation by the city’s Department of Correction.
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