Prisoner who died at rikers had fractured skull, DOC claims he died of a heart attack
Pointing fingers at Gov. Hochul: Blood on her hands?
A 31-year-old prisoner at Rikers Island died last week. Although officials initially attributed his death to a heart attack, a report by Nick Pinto at Hellgatenyc.com revealed a potential cover-up. Autopsy results showed that the victim may have, in fact, died from a fractured skull.
Joshua Valles complained of headaches on May 20, while incarcerated, which subsequently led to his rapid health decline. Contrary to the Department of Corrections’ assertion that Valles suffered a heart attack and denied any foul play, an autopsy performed posthumously revealed a skull fracture.
The court-appointed monitor, Steve Martin, has called into question the transparency of the Department of Correction, especially after Commissioner Louis Molina dismissed any suspicion of wrongdoing within the department. Martin’s skepticism was further fueled by Molina’s reluctance to publicize Valles’s incident and others that raised safety concerns in NYC jails.
Valles’ lawyer, Stan Germán, the executive director of New York County Defender Services, indicated that the autopsy findings strongly suggest Valles may have been a victim of violence while incarcerated at Rikers Island. Germán also underscored the lack of communication from the Department of Correction towards Valles’s family, neither notifying them of their son’s health crisis nor offering condolences.