PHOENIX — The family of a man allegedly murdered inside a Maricopa County jail last September plans to sue the county for negligence.
Richard Cano Sr. died on September 24, 2022 after prison officials found him lying unconscious in his cell. His manner of death is listed as “homicide” by the Maricopa County Coroner’s Office.
A lawyer representing Cano’s family said he was strangled to death by Thomas James Desharnais, who shared a cell with Cano. Desharnais is awaiting trial for alleged involvement in the murder of an 11-year-old boy.
At this time, Desharnais has not been charged in the case despite being named as a suspect in the sheriff’s case report.
Kano’s family is now questioning why a nonviolent inmate struggling with addiction was placed in solitary confinement with a man facing the death penalty for harming a child.
The victim’s son, Richard Cano Jr., said while speaking to 12News on Monday, “No one deserves to lose their life.
An attorney for the family said they recently filed a Notice of Claim that allows them to sue a government agency, documents that plaintiffs must submit in response to Kano’s death.
Several custodial deaths have occurred in the MCSO over the past few years and the MCSO must be held accountable for these cases, lawyers said.
Attorney Anthony Ramirez said: “The trend doesn’t seem to be getting better.
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