Seventy people have died from probable drug overdoses in Milwaukee County in the past seven weeks, including the son of Chief Medical Examiner Brian Peterson.
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An autopsy examination revealed no evidence of injury.
Nearby inmates told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2cRMEBF ) and police that corrections officers had turned off water in Thomas’ cell for days before he died and he had been begging for water.
Then, on Thursday morning, Thomas allegedly visited Posh Pre-Owned in Lafayette, where staff said he took a photo with a white 2015 Mustang.
Thomas was arrested April 15 after shooting a man in the chest and later firing two shots in the Potawatomi casino.
Peterson, according to the report, had a history of drug use and was believed to be homeless when he died. Thomas had several felony convictions and was not permitted to carry a gun.
“We have tossed out our projected number of total drug-related deaths for 2016”, said Karen Domagalski, the medical examiner’s office’s operations manager. “He should have been out at the mental complex getting treatment”, he said.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office says it will not be conducting the investigation, as it is the organization that runs the jail.
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The elder Thomas said the only explanation the family received about the death came from other inmates. That determination will be made by the district attorney once the investigation is complete. In the release, the sheriff said he hoped “to avoid any conflict of interest”.
