*Colin Kaepernick paid for the autopsy of the mentally ill Georgia man who died in a bedbug-infested jail cell last year.
As TMZ reports, Kaepernick contacted the family’s attorney, Ben Crump, to help fund an independent autopsy that was conducted by authorities. The official autopsy came back “undetermined.”
We previously reported that LaShawn Thompson, 35, died in September 2022 at Fulton County Jail after being “eaten alive by insects” in his jail cell, per PEOPLE. His family is calling for a criminal investigation into his death.
“The jail cell Mr. Thompson was housed in, was not fit for a diseased animal,” one of the family’s lawyers, Michael D. Harper, said in the statement. “He did not deserve this.”
READ MORE: Mentally Ill Georgia Man Dies in ‘Dilapidated’ Jail After Being ‘Eaten Alive’ by Bed Bugs | Video
Three months prior to his death on June 12, 2022, Thompson was arrested for simple battery and was reportedly placed in the jail’s psychiatric unit due to unspecified mental health issues. While detained, his health reportedly deteriorated, but staffers did nothing to help him.
“They literally watched his health decline until he died,” Harper said. “When his body was found one of the detention officers refused to administer CPR because in her words she “freaked out.”
The family believes that the “filthy” conditions at the jail contributed to his death.
According to a Fulton County Medical Examiner’s report, Thompson’s body was “covered in bed bugs” and it was “unknown the last time the decedent was seen.”
“Mr. Thompson was found dead in a filthy jail cell after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs,” Harper said earlier this month.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the “dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions” of the facility, and that “a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding Thompson’s death” has been launched.
“Without making any explicit statements about Mr. Thompson’s health, it’s fair to say that this is one of many cases that illustrate the desperate need for expanded and better mental health services,” per the sheriff’s office statement, PEOPLE reports.
Family members are seeking an explanation into Thompson’s, along with sweeping changes to the Fulton County Jail conditions.
“The ongoing investigation is examining details regarding the medical care provided and ultimately will determine whether any criminal charges are warranted in this case,” reads a statement from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
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