US man eaten alive by bed bugs found dead in jail cell, lawyer says

A 35-year old man was found dead in an Atlanta jail after being eaten alive by bed bugs, alleges a lawyer representing the man's family.

The family of Lashawn Thompson is working on launching a criminal investigation into his death after alleging that Thompson died in custody from bed bugs in a squalid jail cell, reports The Guardian. 

Thompson had been incarcerated on a misdemeanor charge. He was placed in the Fulton County Jail's psychiatric unit after determining that he had mental health issues, however, it was noted that he was physically healthy.

According to reports, the cell was filthy and unhygienic that an employee wore a hazmat suit upon entering.

"They left him there essentially," told Michael Harper, a lawyer representing the Thompson family, in an interview with Insider.

"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."

Prior to Thompson's passing, his family members were unaware that he had been incarcerated, the Post reported.

Failing to resuscitate Thompson in his cell, his body was sent for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. 

Although the report was unable to identify the main cause of death, it was noted that there were "extremely severe" infestation of small insects on Thompson's body and a "severe bed bug infestation" in Thompson's cell. The report also mentioned that Thompson had signs of cuts and wounds along his body from picking his skin.

Graphic photos released by Harper show the horrific condition of Thompson's cell and Thompson covered in bugs. 

In a press conference, Brad McCrae, Thompson's brother, explained how distressing it was for the family to see the photos of the scene. 

"It was heartbreaking because nobody should be seen like that. Nobody should see that," said McCrae.

The Fulton county sheriff's office said they had launched a full investigation into Thompson's death. $500,000 has also been assigned to address vermin outbreaks in the jail.

Following the investigation,  the Georgia bureau of Investigation will determine if any criminal charges are warranted, added the sheriff's office.

According to Thompson's family, these efforts alone are not enough. "If you look at those pictures, how deplorable that jail cell was, how did they get to that point in the first place?" said Harper to the Post. "It's not fit for an animal."