Basco, who was found dead over the weekend in his Oklahoma County cell, was a plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging that he and other inmates were repeatedly forced to listen to the children’s song ‘Baby Shark’ by prison staff.
14. DEATH RECORDED
Oklahoma County Detention Center officials said in a press release that 48-year-old John Basco was found dead in his cell early Sunday morning. death of Bascos; It was the 14th death this year in the prison, which has faced criticism over inmate deaths, escapes and other incidents.
OVERDOSE POSSIBILITY IN CONSIDERATION
Prison spokesman Mark Opgrande said he rejected conspiracy theories, showed no obvious signs of crime, and that investigators will look into the possibility of a drug overdose.
Basco, who was arrested on Thursday on a drug trafficking complaint, was among a group of inmates suing for allegedly being handcuffed to the wall and forced to listen to the song ‘Baby Shark’ over and over for hours. A prison officer and two arresting officers were dismissed in connection with the events.
Bascos’ attorney, Cameron Spradling, told The Oklahoman that he found the circumstances surrounding Basco’s death “disturbing” and called for all evidence to be preserved while the investigation was opened.
“HOW THIS HAPPENS”
“I was really annoyed by this. One of the Baby Shark victims died within three days of her arrival at the prison. How is that? District Attorney David Prater has lost one of his witnesses for the upcoming criminal case,” Spradling said.
Oklahoma prison records show Basco has a long history of criminal convictions in Oklahoma County dating back to the mid-1990s, mostly for drug and firearm offenses. According to the records, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for second-degree murder in 2000 and was released in 2007. The investigation into the incident continues.
* The image of the news is provided by the Associated Press.