The family of the deceased Army veteran is looking for answers from Pennsylvania authorities fourteen months after he mysteriously died in a local jail, his organs removed and never returned. No one seems to know exactly what happened.
Everett Palmer Jr, 41, traveled from his house in Delaware to Lancaster County, Pa., on April 7, 2018, to sort out an outstanding warrant for a DUI charge. What was supposed to be a routine trip en route to New York ended in tragedy when this army veteran died just a few days later in York County prison.
The phone call made to his brother two days before his death was the last time the family would hear from the 41-year-old US Army veteran.
An autopsy report from the York County Coroner says Palmer died after an alleged incident in the prison where he became agitated in his cell and was later restrained. The cause of death was later updated to “complications following an excited state, associated with methamphetamine toxicity, during physical restraint.”
Lee Merritt, a civil rights attorney representing the family, told the Washington Post that the body parts of this army veteran went missing for several months and had not been returned to the family.
So much mystery and unanswered questions in a way that violates every policy and procedure that state has,” he added. “It’s not uncommon to remove body parts in an autopsy in order to perform a test. The only thing that’s highly uncommon is to not know where they are.
The family hired a private pathologist and medical examiner, who first flagged the missing organs, and said the way Palmer died should be treated as homicide.
The Pennsylvania State Police said they’re investigating together with the York County district attorney. A spokesman for the district attorney’s office told press on Thursday that it will not comment on pending or on-going investigations, this one included.
The family said they hope renewing interest in the case will get more information to be released or witnesses to come forward. They also started a Justice4Everett Facebook page and hashtag.
“My brother was a good man, he comes from a good family, if he did something wrong with regards to the DUI then clearly he should be held accountable for that,” Dwayne Palmer told NY1. “But that should not be a death sentence.”
