Parents Sue Correction Officials Over Daughter's Death

The American Press reports on a lawsuit filed against the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the Acadia Parish Sheriff for failing to process a hold on alleged killer Jason Reeves when he was released from the David Wade Correctional Center. Reeves had an outstanding warrant in Acadia Parish for molestation of a juvenile charges in 1995, but was released from the David Wade Correctional Center after completing a prison sentence for an earlier conviction. Upon his release, Reeves kidnapped, raped and murdered four-year old Mary Jean Thigpen.

[The failure to execute the hold], the suit contends, was the "proximate and legal cause" of Reeves' being able to kidnap, rape and murder the Thigpen girl.

The Thigpens are suing for $50,000 in damages.

Posted by AJR at February 18, 2003 01:42 PM