Lawyer Says Dead Inmate 'Eaten Alive' By Bed Bugs In Atlanta Jail

We have a new leader in the clubhouse for Worst Ways To Die, and it's gonna be tough to catch. How does getting eaten alive by bed bugs sound?

Yeah, thought so. Buried alive doesn't sound all that bad now, does it?

One lawyer is alleging such a thing over in Atlanta, where he says his now dead client was killed via bed bugs in a jail cell he claims isn't fit for a sick animal.

"Mr. Thompson was found dead in a filthy jail cell after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs," family attorney Michael Harper said in a statement, according to BBC. "The jail cell Mr. Thompson was housed in was not fit for a diseased animal. He did not deserve this."

'Bed bug ate my client,' says Atlanta lawyer

Yep -- that doesn't look great! To be fair, I'm not sure Fulton County Jail bills itself as a Hampton Inn, but maybe investing in a Roomba wouldn't be the worst thing in the world?

Harper's client, Lashawn Thompson, was jailed on a misdemeanor and placed in the jail's psychiatric wing after officials judged him mentally ill. According to the medical examiner, Thompson was found unresponsive last September and pronounced dead after failed attempts to revive him.

Now, months later, Harper is saying his client was the victim of an overwhelming insect infestation, and he has the pictures to prove it.

Harper also says jail records show officers and medical staff noticed Lashawn was deteriorating, but turned a blind eye to the BB army.

And how's this for a smoking gun? That same medical examiner's report noted that there was, indeed, a "severe bed bug infestation" in his cell but there were no signs of trauma.

Hmmmmm.

Now, I know what you're thinking -- people can't actually die from bed bugs, right?

Wrong!

University of Kentucky entomologist Michael Potter told the BBC prolonged exposure to a massive bed bug infestation can cause severe anemia, which can be lethal if left untreated.

He also said this was the worst thing he's seen in 20 years!

"Bed bugs feed on blood and very large numbers of bed bugs feed on very large amounts of blood," he added.

Sleep tight!