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The family of a 24-year-old Georgia man who died inside the DeKalb County Jail is demanding answers after he was found unresponsive with several wounds in his cell.
David Addo-Wright was found by deputies Wednesday (September 23), according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The GBI said its investigation remains active.
Addo-Wright had been in jail for less than 48 hours when he died, his family told WSB-TV. His family said he had already posted bond and was expected to return home.
During their final conversation, Addo-Wright told his father, Darrin Wright, that he had been arrested following a fight. Wright recalled his son saying, “Dad, I messed up. I got into a fight. I was arrested.”
The family told WSB-TV it was Addo-Wright’s first and only arrest. His loved ones described him as a former Clark Atlanta University student who was active in his community and preparing to enlist in the U.S. Marines.
“This is a young man who was moving in the right direction,” Darrin Wright said.
The family’s attorney, Mawuli Davis, alleges that six men entered Addo-Wright’s cell and attacked him.
Davis also claims jail staff failed to conduct routine checks and that the cell locks were not working properly.
He said a significant amount of time passed before anyone helped Addo-Wright. He was reportedly cold to the touch by the time someone checked on him.
The family also reported receiving calls from people they believed were gang members inside the jail who demanded money, according to WSB-TV. Davis said investigators should consider whether those calls were connected to the alleged attack.
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and GBI declined to comment on the family's allegations or say whether anyone had been identified as a suspect, WSB-TV reported.
The GBI said its investigation remains active and that the case will be turned over to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office for review once the investigation is complete.
“They failed David,” Darren Wright said. “He did not need to die violently.”
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