Maryland Attorney General Announces Review Process for 41 Restraint-Related Deaths

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General has announced a framework for transparency, family notification and public accountability as it reviews 41 restraint-related deaths.

A 2025 audit of the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the deaths should have been classified as homicides. The Attorney General’s review will determine whether the evidence in each case warrants reopening the matter for further criminal investigation.

Case reviews are ongoing. As each review is completed, the Office of the Attorney General said it will make every effort to directly notify the decedent’s family.

Families and their attorneys, when applicable, will receive a written letter outlining the results of the preliminary review. They will have 30 days to submit additional information or materials they believe may be relevant to determining potential criminal liability.

After that 30-day period, and after reviewing any materials submitted, the office will make a final determination and notify the family before issuing any public statement.

The Office of the Attorney General will then issue an individual press release announcing the findings for each case. Families will also be offered the opportunity to personally review the investigative case file.

Attorney General Anthony Brown said the office recognizes the grief carried by the families of the 41 decedents as they wait for more information about their loved ones’ final moments.

Maryland is the first state in the nation to conduct a review of this kind, according to the Office of the Attorney General. The office said it cannot provide a projected end date because each case has distinct facts, evidence and circumstances.

In May 2025, Brown and Gov. Wes Moore released a 70-page audit report reviewing in-custody death determinations made by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner between 2003 and 2019.

From more than 1,300 in-custody deaths investigated by the medical examiner’s office, the Audit Design Team selected 87 cases involving deaths during or after restraint for independent review.

Key findings from the audit included:

• In 44 of the 87 cases reviewed, one or more of three independent forensic reviewers disagreed with the original determination of the manner of death.
• In 36 cases, all three independent reviewers unanimously concluded the death should have been classified as a homicide.
• In five additional cases, two of three reviewers concluded the death should have been classified as a homicide.

According to the National Association of Medical Examiners, the classification of manner of death is not a legal conclusion. A death is classified as a homicide when it results from a volitional act committed by another person. The classification does not establish criminal intent or criminal culpability.

Since the audit findings were released in 2025, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not changed the manner or cause of death certification in any of the 41 cases, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The 41 Cases Under Review

The following individuals are the 41 decedents whose cases are being reviewed under Moore’s executive order. Cases marked “Homicide” reflect a unanimous determination by all three independent reviewers. Cases marked “No Consensus” reflect a determination by two of three independent reviewers that the manner of death should have been classified as homicide.

County refers to the jurisdiction listed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on the cover page of the autopsy report, which may differ from the county where the death occurred or where the restraint occurred.

Families who believe their loved one’s case was impacted by the audit can contact the Office of the Attorney General through the OCME Audit Hotline.

Email: OCMEAuditHotline@oag.state.md.us
Phone: 833-282-0961