Updated and Corrected — A 26-year-old East Hartford man died two days after being released from the New Haven Correctional Center on Whalley Avenue.
According to his obituary, he died from complications from the novel coronavirus.
That man’s name was Caleb Jordan Martin.
Click here to read his obituary.
“Recently, Caleb had worked for Stop & Shop at their warehouse,” the obit reads. “Caleb was a talented football player and he loved watching and following the sport of football. He also enjoyed writing music and poetry and singing “hip hop” songs. Caleb was well known for his playful nature, his smile, and witty sense of humor. Most of all, he was a proud father who received great joy from being with his son and Jenna.”
Mayor Justin Elicker initially said during his daily coronavirus-related virtual press briefing Wednesday afternoon that Martin died while still incarcerated at the state-run Whalley jail.
That information proved to be incorrect.
State Department of Correction spokesperson Karen Martucci told the Independent Wednesday night that Martin was released from the Whalley jail on April 13, and died in at Hartford Hospital on April 15.
She said she does not know whether or not he had coronavirus, and could not confirm what was printed in the obituary.
She said Martin was released from the Whalley jail by court order, and that he was held on pre-trial detention.
Prisoner refromers and abolitionists from throughout the state have called for the release of inmates during the pandemic because of how uniquely vulnerable they are to contracting Covid-19 while incarcerated.
Elicker apologized Wednesday night for relaying information to the press and public that proved to be wrong. He said he had received incorrect information about when and where Martin had died.
A 31-year-old New Haven man named Carl Talbot died at that same facility last year, leading the state to charge one of the facility’s guard’s with third-degree assault.
Elicker did not have an update Wednesday on the city’s investigation into the April 15 death of a 31-year-old New Haven man while held in city lockup. He promised to check in with the police chief and provide an update soon.
This is going to keep happening until the system is completely reformed. The Talbot verdict proved that -- no one in particular was culpable; it was a systemic failure. Jail exists to coerce and punish. That's all it can do. Sometimes coercion and punishment is lethal.