Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Father of Murdered Correctional Officer Sues State

I've written a couple of times about the June 2003 murder of Florida correctional officer Darla Lathrem. Lathrem, who was armed only with pepper spray and a radio, was attacked and killed by three inmates who then attempted to escape. Her body was discovered stashed in a locked closet amid the chaos of the attempted breakout.A report on Lathrem's murder showed that a number of prison procedures had not been followed on the night of her murder.

Lathrem's father is now suing the state of Florida for "wrongful death."
The complaint alleges that the Florida Department of Corrections placed Darla Lathrem in danger by violating several of its own rules and policies.

David Lathrem's wrongful death lawsuit seeks damages of more than $15,000, his attorney, Peter C. Burkert, said Tuesday.


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