Family Sues Prison After Body Inmate Who Unexpectedly Died While In Custody Was Returned to Them in State of Severe Decomposition

A lawsuit has been filed by a family in Alabama against the Ventress Correctional Facility by relatives of the late Brandon Clay Dotson, who died while serving a 99-year sentence for burglary and whose cadaver their claim was returned to them in a state of severe decomposition.

Dotson, aged 43, died on November 16, coincidentally the same day he was being considered for parole. The lawsuit, initiated by Dotson’s daughter and mother, targets various officials, including Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) Commissioner John Q. Hamm.

The family’s troubles began with the notification of Dotson’s death by Warden Karen Williams. They faced bureaucratic delays in claiming his body, which allegedly led to severe decomposition. This situation forced them to hold a closed casket funeral.

Even more distressing, the second autopsy, conducted by hired pathologist Dr. Boris Datnow, revealed that Dotson’s heart was missing. The lawsuit suggests the heart may have been removed without the family’s consent, possibly for use in medical student exercises at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine.

The lawsuit also sheds light on Dotson’s final days in prison, marked by unaddressed pleas for help against violence and drug access. It accuses the prison leadership of gross disrespect and negligence. The family is demanding a jury trial, damages, and an injunction against the responsible officials.

“The ADOC does not conduct its own autopsies and we do not comment on matters pending litigation,” the ADOC told Law & Crime when approached about the matter.

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