Man exhumed from upstate prison laid to rest in Bronx today
The funeral for a 22-year-old Bronx man who died in state prison was held Monday. Family members gathered outside Rapture Preparation Church on Crotona Avenue for the funeral service of Lonnie Hamilton.
News 12 Staff
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Sep 12, 2016, 11:29 PM
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Updated 2,776 days ago
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The funeral for a 22-year-old Bronx man who died in state prison was held Monday.
Family members gathered outside Rapture Preparation Church on Crotona Avenue for the funeral service of Lonnie Hamilton.
His family says their son was buried at the prison cemetery without their knowledge back on March 18.
Hamilton was serving six years on robbery charges and was scheduled to be released next year.
The family claims the State Department of Corrections did not notify them of their son's death until two months after he died.
Hamilton's body was exhumed from the cemetery last week after his family filed a lawsuit against the Department of Corrections.
Officials say Hamilton died of self-asphyxiation, but his family is also questioning that determination and will seek an independent autopsy.
The family says it is also filing a lawsuit against the state for not giving their son a proper burial and for possible wrongful death.
