Clayton County Sheriff’s Office working to close several M.E. reports about inmate deaths

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Clayton County Sheriff Lavon Allen says his office is working to send critical inmate records needed to close several medical examiner’s office cases.

The Medical Examiner’s Office filed a petition for mandamus. It’s an order commanding the sheriff’s office to provide medical records of deceased inmates. The petition claims Sheriff Levon Allen has failed to provide Medicaid records, booking forms, communications from the inmates’ messaging system, and incident and death reports.

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Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln spoke with the sheriff on Monday.

He told Lincoln there’s been some miscommunication, resulting in the delay of sending some records.

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Sheriff Allen told Lincoln once the court order for mandamus was filed, his staff halted sending records for legal reasons.

The sheriff reached out to the medical examiner’s office Monday and he says they’re in the process of sending needed documents, so these cases can get closed.

“It won’t bring him back, but it might help ease the pain a little bit,” said Sylvia Sanford.

Channel 2 Action News spoke with Sylvia Sanford whose awaiting for the medical examiner’s office to close her son’s case.

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Her son Jason died in custody in April.

“We don’t have any reasons for why it happened,” Sanford said.

Trisha Singleton told Lincoln, her husband’s case is still open. They have not received needed documents to close his case. He was found unresponsive in a jail transport van last month, and later died at a hospital.

“I just want people to know just because you’re not perfect doesn’t mean you don’t deserve justice,” said Singleton.

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