In April 2017, a 48-year-old man named Sterling Cole was killed while incarcerated at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cole, a father of five, died just one day short of his 49th birthday from complications related to head trauma. His death was the result of a beating by a fellow inmate.
Cole had been in the facility for seven months, awaiting trial on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault.
He was taken to a hospital after being ambushed and assaulted in the prison yard, where he remained unconscious for several days before succumbing to his injuries. The Philadelphia medical examiner officially ruled his death a homicide.
At the time of the initial reports in July 2017, three months after the incident, no arrests had been made in connection with Cole's death. A police spokesman confirmed that homicide investigators had a 'person or persons of interest' in the case, but no further details were released. The investigation into his death was ongoing.
The family of Sterling Cole later filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and others. Court records indicate that the case was eventually dismissed and recorded as settled. However, publicly available information does not specify whether any inmate was ever criminally charged or convicted for the murder of Sterling Cole.
