MOULTRIE — An attorney representing the daughter of a man who died in Colquitt County Jail said he thinks the county is withholding records needed to proceed with a wrongful death lawsuit.

While the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has turned over interviews with Colquitt County Sheriff’s Department employees and autopsy reports, Albany attorney John M. Beauchamp said the county has not answered requests for medical records.

Beauchamp has notified the county that he plans to file suit on behalf of Angela Craig, whose father, Donald Ray Bradshaw Sr., died April 22 in a jail holding cell. Bradshaw was found dead in his cell at 3:30 a.m. after a jail nurse noted him having flu-like symptoms.

A nurse’s report given to Beauchamp by the GBI shows that Bradshaw had a 103.8 temperature at 9:15 p.m. Beauchamp said that Bradshaw was vulnerable to infection, and “it is appalling that he was not seen by the jail doctor or sent to the hospital.”

“They killed this man,” he said. “They put him in a holding cell. You don’t take a man who does not have a spleen and a 103 temperature and do that. This is a human being. You’re obligated to treat him.”

Bradshaw was serving a 10-day probation violation sentence when he died.

Autopsy reports said that Bradshaw “most probably” died from septic complications related to cirrhosis of the liver from chronic alcohol use.

Bradshaw also had a 75-percent blockage of a heart artery and apparent congestive heart failure in addition to cirrhosis, Colquitt County Coroner John Vickers said.

No foul play was involved, the autopsy said, and Bradshaw died of natural causes.

Bradshaw had served nine months in jail and had paid a fine for a habitual violator conviction, Beauchamp said, but had failed to serve community service time and he was jailed when he was stopped while driving.

The attorney alleges that Bradshaw had been sick for more than 12 hours before he was seen by a jail nurse, who noted his temperature and that he was given Tylenol for the fever, Gatorade for dehydration and blankets. The report also notes that Bradshaw had dizziness, nausea and backache.

A jailer’s statement said that Beauchamp was coughing through the night until around 1:30 a.m. and that he was found unresponsive at 3:30 a.m.

Bradshaw was moved to a front holding cell in the front booking office so jail employees could watch him more closely, officials said.

While sympathetic to Bradshaw’s family, Sheriff Al Whittington said that jail policy was followed.

“I’m sorry that the man died,” he said.

And, he added, his office will look at the policy to protect inmates in the future.

County attorney Bill McCalley said that he has not heard from Beauchamp in some time and that he thinks all documents requested have been sent.

“We’ve given him everything we think is appropriate,” McCalley said.

— By Alan Mauldin