Inmate Who Filed 'Baby Shark' Torture Suit Found Dead Of Mysterious Circumstances In Cell

An inmate in a jail in Oklahoma County was found dead in his prison cell on Sunday under allegedly mysterious circumstances, months after suing the prison for torturing him and other inmates with, among other things, the song “Baby Shark” for months in 2019.

John Basco, a 48-year-old man, was found dead in his jail cell on Sunday, with officers’ attempts to resuscitate him failing and him dying minutes after being discovered unresponsive in the jail cell. Jail officials claim that Basco had died from a drug overdose, but nothing has been officially said, according to the Oklahoman.

Basco was among a group of plaintiffs and former inmates of the Oklahoma County jail who is currently suing them in federal for reportedly torturing them with different methods, including handcuffing them to a wall and forcing them to listen to “Baby Shark” on repeat for hours, KFOR News reported.

Two former detention officers, Gregory Cornell Butler Jr. and Christian Charles Miles, have been accused of torturing them, while a third individual, former Lieutenant Christopher Raymond Hendershott, has been accused of doing nothing to stop the torture after finding out about it.

Basco was recently arrested on Thursday for an unrelated drug trafficking charge, and Basco’s lawyer for the case, Cameron Spradling, has put suspicion regarding the mysterious circumstances in which Basco’s death had occurred in jail.

“I’m really bothered by this,” Spradling said. “One of the ‘Baby Shark’ victims is conveniently dead within three days of his arrival at the jail. How does that happen? District Attorney David Prater just lost one of his witnesses for the upcoming criminal trial. For me, this one does not pass the smell test.”

Basco is reportedly the 14th person this year who has died in the Oklahoma County prison, which continues to suffer from many issues, including overcrowding and staffing problems. As a solution, the state has approved a US$260 million package for a new jail to be built in hopes of solving the overcrowding issue.

“Our sympathies are with Mr. Basco’s family and loved ones,” a spokesperson for Oklahoma County Jail said in a statement. “We remain committed to providing the safest environment possible for detainees and staff.”