State: Talbot’s Death Behind Bars Was Homicide

by Staff | Oct 24, 2019 5:13 pm

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Posted to: Legal Writes

Somebody killed Carl “Robby” Talbot. The state’s attorney from Milford has now been assigned to figure out who, and to determine exactly what happened in the Whalley Avenue jail in March in the lead-up to the 30-year-old local man’s death. The state Department of Criminal Justice made that announcement in a Thursday afternoon press release regarding the months-long investigation into the death of Talbot, a beloved, eccentric local poet with a long history of mental illness and substance abuse who died in his jail cell on March 21. Click here to read a story about Talbot’s life and the challenge it posed for the mental health and criminal justice system. The Thursday afternoon press release states that, per a preliminary investigation by state police, Talbot was placed in restraints in his cell at the Whalley Avenue jail at approximately 6:45 a.m. “after being non-compliant.” According to a Hartford Courant article from earlier this week, Talbot suffered from cardiac arrest after he was pepper sprayed three times and placed in five-point restraints by correctional officers because he refused to leave the jail’s shower area. The state police’s press release noted that Talbot was subsequently found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 8:57 a.m. and was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital’s St. Raphael Campus, where he was pronounced dead at 9:40 a.m. The release quotes a recently completed autopsy report by the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that certified Talbot’s cause of death as “sudden death due to physical struggle with restraint, atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease and morbid obesity,” according to the press release. The autopsy report also certified “the manner of death as homicide.” The state Division of Criminal Justice has now assigned the investigation into Talbot’s death to State’s Attorney Margaret E. Kelley of the Ansonia-Milford Judicial District, “in accordance with state statutes that require such investigations to be assigned to a State’s Attorney from a judicial district other than that where the incident occurred. (New Haven is in the Judicial District of New Haven).” “We extend our condolences to Mr. Talbot’s family on their tragic loss,” Kelley is quoted as saying in the release. “The State’s Attorney’s Office will be in contact with the family to assure that they are kept aware of the progress of the investigation, the purpose of which by statute is to determine the circumstances of the death and whether any use of force was appropriate under the law.” “It is my intent to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation. In determining what information will be released and when, I will balance the needs of the investigation with the public’s right to know what happened. It is my intention to complete this investigation and determination as soon as possible, but it also must be noted that these are painstakingly thorough investigations that do require time so it is not possible at this time to give any estimate of when the case will be concluded.” Carl “Robby” Talbot’s family and friends wondered why he ended up in the Whalley Avenue jail instead of a mental hospital — and then why he was found dead after an altercation with staff.

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posted by: Caitsawthis on October 25, 2019 8:48am My condolences to the family. It sounds like this person needed help.

posted by: Big George Waters I’ve been agonizing over this article since I read it late last night, as to if I should comment or not - as I am not sure what is disturbing me more: the articles which i have read in the Courant over the past few days or, this phrase which is used as an introduction to this article here: Somebody killed Carl “Robby” Talbot behind bars… because to me, that implies something very different than what the Hartford Courant stated yesterday. My own opinion - and this is just an opinion, since I did know Rob somewhat though a common interest in similar forms of music - is that he did not belong in jail, he belonged in a hospital. My own opinion - and this is also just an opinion - is that jails are not places for mentally ill - especially non violent - individuals to be held, because the folks working in the jails more than likely do not have the training necessary to deal with someone like Rob, not too mention that the people working in the jails have enough on their plate as it is and should not have to also be responsible for dealing with mentally ill individuals [*and I do not mean that in a negative way…] With all that said, and I realize it is a lot - I do not know what the answer is, and I do realize that this is a very complicated matter which cannot be solved over night or anytime soon. I do sincerely believe that NOBODY wanted to see this happen, what happened to Robby on that morning. My only hope is that something positive will come out of this that benefits all, so that nothing like what happened to Rob ever happens again. Thoughts Prayers and Hugs to Rob’s family and friends, and to all those affected by what happened. May something good come out of this, may Robby’s name and life never be forgotten.

posted by: challenge on October 25, 2019 12:08pm Homicide following being placed in 5 point restraints (which means he was rendered incapable of harming anyone) and pepper sprayed several times. What is there to investigate besides the names of the culprits in his death? That shouldn’t take months to discover. I’m sure they already have that info. His obesity did not cause his death since he was obese long before entering the jail. The fact that state’s attorneys from other districts are investigating the case is almost meaningless because they are all state employees and any outcomes will be brought against the state; therefore for true transparency and fairness an independent investigator should handle these cases. Condolences to all those who loved him. May his soul rest in peace.

posted by: Patricia Kane on October 25, 2019 12:10pm Too many people who need mental health treatment are in jails and prisons where they get NO treatment, just mis-treatment.

We have legitimized violence at every level of our society - from perpetual war, to unlimited access to guns, to criminalizing protesters excercising their First Amendment rights, to people selling cigarettes on the street.

It’s not that hard to design more humane responses to problems.

The tough approach to everything has failed miserably.

Dismantle these useless institutions and convene a meeting of community groups and mental health experts and design human responses that don’t destroy minds or lives.

posted by: missthenighthawks on October 25, 2019 12:54pm The mentally ill do not belong in prison, but there are far too many who also do not belong on the streets. Medication is not the answer. Too many fail to take their medicine, sometimes because their illness makes them think the medication is trying to kill them (see hearing voices sites).

In the name of humanity, we dismantled the system of inpatient institutions (except for the severely ill) that could have worked with the mentally ill on a more long term basis. What a mistake.

posted by: DMH464 on October 25, 2019 8:36pm According to the OCME his personal was part of the cause: “The release quotes a recently completed autopsy report by the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that certified Talbot’s cause of death as “sudden death due to physical struggle with restraint, atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease and morbid obesity,” according to the press release”.

posted by: OhHum on October 26, 2019 5:46pm Many of us when the psych hospitals were closed in CT cried “this is not going to work, people will not keep taking the drugs.” “Where will people go when they need help” But there were people that cried out louder. “People can’t be kept against their wills, so heavily drugged that they can barely function.” “It’s unfair, they have rights too.” Now some of those same people cry. “Things have to and will change.” Does anybody really have the answer? If they do, please step up and announce it. We’re killing these people by doing the right thing.