Baltimore Oct. 5: Justice for Marlyn Barnes and all prisoners

Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM EDT

Harford County Detention Center
1030 Rock Spring Rd, Bel Air, Maryland 21014

Hosted by Prisoners Solidarity Committee

Marlyn Barnes was a father of 5 and 30 years old when Harford County Detention Center mysteriously claimed that he had committed suicide after spending 1 night behind bars.

Marlyn got to HCDC on April 9th, 2019. Law enforcement told his mother, Marilyn Barnes, that he would be released the very next day. At 2:50 pm on April 10th, 2019, Marlyn Barnes died. According to the authorities he had committed suicide.

With no history of mental illness, depression, or other suicide attempts, Marlyn’s supposed suicide makes little sense. A day before his death, Marlyn called his mother and told her that he didn’t want any trouble while in jail. He told his mother and fellow inmates: “I just want to get out.”

It took until July 22 – over 2 months after Marlyn’s death – for the Medical Examiner’s Office to release autopsy results to his mother. The autopsy was conducted on April 11th, but the Chief Medical Examiner did not sign the autopsy report until June 20.

Marlyn Barnes is not the first person in recent years to allegedly kill himself at Harford County Detention Center. Between 2008 and 2012, at least 7 people allegedly died by suicide there. HCDC and Maryland jails have a suspicious history of abuses against prisoners and prisoner deaths.

The Deputy State Medical Examiner, Dr. Pamela Southall, also has a dubious history of creating autopsy reports that line up with police narrative regardless of scientific facts.

Join us in solidarity and action with Miss Marilyn Barnes who is seeking truth and justice for her son.

We demand:
1. People’s investigation into the Harford County Department of Corrections (including a meeting with the Warden of the Harford County Detention Center, Michael Capasso and the Correctional
Officer Larry Lowe who was in charge of Marlyn’s cell)
2. A public explanation from the Chief Medical Examiners regarding the timeline of the autopsy and the death certificate.