SELINSGROVE -- A state police investigation into the death of a Snyder County Jail inmate two years ago did not turn up any evidence of foul play, but instead led authorities to classify Jeremy W. Dock's death as a suicide, District Attorney Michael Sholley said Friday.
Dock's parents, Jeffrey Dock, of Beavertown, and Linda Long, of Middleburg, claim otherwise.
They've filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. Middle District Court alleging their 29-year-old son was killed, either by correction officers or other inmates, while he was being held in a single cell in protective custody at the Penn Township jail April 17, 2007.
The wrongful death and negligence lawsuit alleges Dock bore the signs of a beating, with cuts on his tongue and mouth, and bruises on his face, neck, arm and hands.
A pool of blood was outside his cell, the suit said.
But, according to a source familiar with the prison who requested anonymity, there's no evidence of any of these claims and a surveillance camera that recorded activities outside Dock's cell support the county's position that there was no wrongdoing.
The tape was turned over to state police, the source said.
According to Snyder County Coroner Bruce Hummel's report, Dock was found hanging from a bed sheet in his cell.
Prison board solicitor Robert Cravitz would not allow the release of the jail policy regarding inmate deaths because of the pending litigation.
Sholley said he didn't know the exact procedure, but said in Dock's case, state police were notified and an investigation was launched.
The district attorney was unable to comment on the merits of the lawsuit, which he had not seen as of early Friday. But Sholley said at the time of the incident he spoke with Dock's family, the Lehigh Valley Medical Hospital pathologist who conducted the autopsy and police and found no evidence the death was suspicious.
Criminal activity doubted
"Based on information given to me, I had no reason to believe there was criminal activity," he said. "If there had been, we would have followed up on it, even if it meant bringing in additional (investigatory) assistance."
Sholley said Dock's parents hired their own pathologist, who reviewed reports and photographs, but Sholley wasn't sure whether the body was examined by their expert.
Neither Jeffrey Dock or Linda Long could be reached Friday for comment.
Sholley would not confirm whether Dock was cooperating with police on an investigation into a "prolific" drug-trafficking inside the prison.
Dock's alleged informant status was the reason he was killed, the lawsuit alleges.
Although there were two arrests involving women providing contraband to inmates inside the jail during that period and inmates possessing illegal drugs is always a problem, Sholley said he's not aware of a rampant drug trafficking issue at the jail.
At the time of his death, Dock was in jail on a parole violation for a prior burglary. He was being held in segregated housing due to his alleged cooperation on the drug case.
Defendants are Snyder County, Warden Ruth Rush, Deputy Warden Donald Reade, watch commander Donald Campbell and Selinsgrove state police trooper Rick Blair.
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