Alabama
Alabama man jailed in ‘the freezer’ died of homicide due to hypothermia, records show
An Alabama inmate with “serious mental and psychiatric needs” was placed in a concrete drunk tank known as “the freezer” before he later died from hypothermia in a death now ruled a homicide, state records show.
Anthony Don Mitchell died Jan. 26, 2023, while in the custody of the Walker County Sheriff’s Department after “spending fourteen days incarcerated under horrendous conditions” at the Walker County Jail, according to an amended complaint filed in a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
The jail is in the city of Jasper about 40 miles northwest of Birmingham.
According to the 53-page suit filed by his mother, Margaret Mitchell, corrections officers at the jail purposely exposed her 33-year-old son to freezing temperatures in the tank over a 24-period.
The suit, filed last February, also” claims they denied Mitchell medication, medical treatment and access to water or a toilet.
Mitchell’s death certificate, obtained by USA TODAY, shows he died as a result of hypothermia as well as “sepsis resulting from infections injuries obtained during incarceration and medical neglect.”
On Monday, Walker County Coroner Joey Vick told USA TODAY Mitchell’s death has been ruled a homicide.
“Tony’s death was wrongful, the result of horrific, malicious abuse and mountains of deliberate indifference, “Jon Goldfarb, an attorney representing Mitchell’s family, wrote in the suit.
As of Monday, no criminal charges had been filed against any off the defendants, Goldfarb told USA TODAY.
Sheriff, officers and nurses named defendants
The suit names defendants including Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith, jail Administrator Justin White, more than a dozen jail correction officers, a nurse practitioner, a nurse and an investigator.
Randy McNeill, an attorney representing the sheriff and the corrections officers told USA TODAY he could not comment on the case “because of the ongoing investigation.”
Attorneys for the remaining defendants could not immediately be reached, but according to a motion filed in response to the compliant, the sheriff’s office and its affiliated parties deny the allegations.
“The defendants do not think they did anything wrong,” Goldfarb told USA TODAY Monday via email.
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‘Portals to heaven and portals to hell’
According to the lawsuit, Mitchell lived “in complete isolation’ and suffered from “serious medical and psychiatric needs including but not limited to severe drug addiction, psychosis, and malnourishment.”
At the time of his death, Mitchell was being held at the jail after being arrested during a welfare check, when shots were fired at deputies as they were called to Mitchell’s home for what family members believed to be “a mental break down.”
On the day he was taken to jail, a cousin called 911 for help, the suit continues, because Mitchell was in serious need of psychiatric help, “spouting delusions about portals to heaven and portals to hell.”
When deputies arrived at the home, the suit reads, Mitchell brandished a handgun, fired one shot towards officers then fled into nearby woods.
A black spray painted face
When deputies found Mitchell in the woods, his face was covered with a black substance, the suit continues.
When he arrived at the jail, Mitchell’s cousin noticed his face and asked corrections Officer Arthur Armstrong, one of the defendants named in the suit, what happened.
Armstrong, the suit says, told the cousin Mitchell spray painted his own face black “because he was planning to enter a portal to hell located inside his house.”
Armstrong told Mitchell’s cousin they would set Mitchell’s bail “high enough that he would not be able to bond out,” and assured him Mitchell would receive medical evaluation and treatment in jail, the lawsuit reads.
“Armstrong told him, ‘We’re going to detox him and then we’ll see how much of his brain is left,’ or words to that effect,” the lawsuit reads.
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‘The freezer’
For the duration of his stay at the jail, Mitchell was kept in cell BK5, the “drunk tank,” according to the suit, either mostly or completely naked on a bare concrete floor.
According to the amended complaint, during the night of Jan. 25 to Jan. 26, “corrections officers intentionally caused extremely cold air to blow through the roof vents” in to his cell using the jail’s climate control system.
The outside temperature that night was in the low 30s, the suit claims, so if “it was simply outside air blowing into the cells, that air was frigid,” the attorney wrote.
“BK5, referred to by some longtime corrections staff and inmates as “the freezer” because of the ability of corrections staff to subject inmates to frigid temperatures there, would have been the coldest cell in the booking area, the suite reads. “Inmates housed there report being able to see their breath because it was so cold and that their digits would turn numb.”
At various points during a check, two corrections officers are captured on video “clowning and laughing as Tony lies motionless and naked on the bare cement floor in the open cell behind them, obviously in severe medical distress and in need of immediate emergency medical treatment.”
Deputies, the complaint continues, “did not call an ambulance for him despite his obvious need for emergency medical treatment.”
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72 degrees Fahrenheit
When Mitchell was taken to a hospital in the backseat of a sheriff’s vehicle, his internal body temperature “was at most 72 degrees Fahrenheit when he arrived, according to the suit.
The emergency room doctor who treated Mitchell, and spent more than three hours trying to resuscitate him, wrote the following note in Mitchell’s medical records:
“I am not sure what circumstances the patient was held in incarceration, but it is difficult to understand a rectal temperature of 72°F… while someone is incarcerated in jail. The cause of his hypothermia is not clear…I do believe that hypothermia was the ultimate cause of his death.”
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
RALPH, Ala. (WSFA) – An Alabama teenager took a chance on Wednesday, filming a two-minute video on his mom’s Facebook page without his parents knowing.
He didn’t expect what happened next.
Will Roberts, 15, lives in Ralph, an unincorporated community in Tuscaloosa County. He’s fighting for his life against stage 4 bone cancer, called osteosarcoma, which has spread throughout his body.
In Will’s video he asks for one specific thing: a drug that he does not have access to called DELTAREX-G.
His parents had been discussing the benefits that this drug could offer, and Will wants to take action. So, he filmed the video.
In less than 24 hours, the Roberts family has heard from Alabama and national lawmakers and even celebrity doctors like Dr. Oz.
WSFA 12 News’ Ian Alvano is speaking with Will and his family about the boy’s battle, and his decision to make the Facebook post. We’ll update this story with more details and video throughout the day.
In Will’s video he asks for it to be shared with President Donald Trump and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“We’ve tried basically everything there is, and we’re getting toward the end of the road, and I need help,” the boy urges.
While he remains in a battle for his life, Will is thinking about others. He states in the video that while he’s unsure about his future, he wants other kids who may battle this disease in the future to have the best chance possible.
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Alabama
Alabama QB Ty Simpson says faith in Jesus Christ fuels confidence heading into 2026 NFL Draft
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Confidence exudes from Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson when he’s on the field, and that carried over to the pre-NFL Draft process.
Simpson has steadfastly supported himself when asked if he can be a starting quarterback in this league, and he feels he has the first-round talent to do so.
Before he learns where he goes in the NFL Draft, whether it’s Thursday night in the first round or beyond, Simpson spoke with Fox News Digital about where his patented confidence comes from.
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Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide throws a pass during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Feb. 28, 2026. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
“I think it goes with my faith,” he said, while discussing his partnership with Toyota ahead of the draft. “My faith is very important to me. I fully believe that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, and knowing that football is just a minor stepping stone in why I’m on this earth. I feel like I’m on this earth for a bigger reason, to get people together to spread the word. The fact that I can do that on a huge stage, the Lord has blessed me in so many ways, that just gives me confidence.
“I get to play a kid’s game for fun, but I also know that everybody’s watching every move that I make. Understanding that I can impact so many people’s lives by spreading the good news.”
Simpson, who spent all four of his college seasons at Alabama, embodies the “Faith, Family, Football” motto, as he also talked about his hometown of Martin, Tennessee.
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No matter where his NFL journey may take him, he will always be repping the place that made him who he is.
“I think that being able to impact my community is something I really look forward to because I know how much my community means to me,” he said when asked about charitable work off the field in the city he ends up in. “Martin, Tennessee is a special place. It’s where I grew up. The 713-area code, we take pride in it. We always say in our household, ‘Martin made.’ So, it’s something where I look forward to, wherever I end up, to be able to give back to my community.”
Simpson showcased his desire to give back Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, joining fellow NFL Draft prospect wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Steelers receiver Michael Pittman Jr., and members of the U.S. Women’s National Flag Football team at Toyota’s NFL Draft Flag Football Training Camp for Pittsburgh-area high school girls. He was wearing the coach’s hat, helping coordinate drills and share some of his quarterback wisdom before preparing for the draft on Thursday night.
Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs with the football against the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1, 2026. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
“My sister was a basketball player and softball player growing up, so it’s really exciting and awesome to see Toyota put a spotlight on girls in sports,” Simpson added.
Toyota also covered NFL FLAG fall registration kit fees for current players in the Pittsburgh Flag Football League coed youth and high school girls leagues as part of this activation before the live draft in the city.
Simpson waited until his fourth season to finally take the reins of the Alabama offense, and he made the best of the situation. He threw for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and only five interceptions across 15 games for the Crimson Tide. But the 6-foot-2, 211-pound quarterback, who has gotten comparisons to Mac Jones, a fellow Alabama alum, is all over the place in terms of mock drafts.
In short, not even Simpson has an idea where he might end up when the draft begins. But no matter where he goes, Simpson knows he can make an impact.
Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up before the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1, 2026. (CFP/Getty Images)
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And it starts with his faith.
“The first round is great, [but] any time you get drafted is great. There’s so many different players that are great at my position that are from each different round of the NFL. So, I’m in the mindset of wherever I go, whenever that will be, I’m gonna put my best foot forward. Trust the process and be the best player I can be.”
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Alabama
Chris Blankenship op-ed: Alabama’s outdoors is key to our state’s economic growth – Innovate Alabama is a key partner in that growth
From the mountains of the Tennessee Valley to the shores of the Gulf Coast, and everything in- between, our state is second to none in the country when it comes to beautiful outdoors and recreation.
Whether it’s camping and hiking across Alabama’s state parks, fishing our streams, rivers, coastlines and bays, or hunting in our state’s sprawling forests – there is truly something for everyone who has a love and appreciation for the outdoors.
But Alabama’s natural beauty is about more than just recreation. It is a powerful economic asset – and one that is increasingly central to our state’s ability to compete for talent in a rapidly changing economy. Today, when individuals and families are deciding where to live, one of the first questions they ask is simple: What is the quality of life? And a major part of that answer is access to outdoor recreation.
People want to know if they can bike on scenic trails, paddle down clean rivers, hike through preserved lands, or spend weekends hunting and fishing. They want to live in places that allow them to unplug, recharge, and connect with nature.
Alabama is uniquely positioned to meet that demand. We have the natural resources that people across the country are searching for – but we must be intentional about leveraging them. Each year, Alabama produces more talented graduates than ever before. Yet too many of those young people leave our state in search of opportunities and lifestyles they believe they cannot find here.
If we are serious about retaining that talent, and attracting new talent from outside our borders, we must fully embrace and promote what makes Alabama special. That is exactly what we are doing through Innovate Alabama, a statewide public-private
partnership focused on entrepreneurship and economic growth.
As Chairman of the Council on Outdoor Recreation, I have seen firsthand how our natural assets are becoming one of our strongest tools in this effort. Innovate Alabama recognizes that talent drives economic development. And talent today is
mobile. Young professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators are choosing where to live based not only on job opportunities, but on lifestyle.
By elevating outdoor recreation as a central part of our value proposition, we are showing that Alabama offers both. And it is working.
We are hearing directly from entrepreneurs and young professionals who have launched businesses through Innovate Alabama programs that access to our outdoors, and the quality of life it creates, has been one of the most compelling reasons they chose to build their future here.
They are finding that in Alabama, they do not have to choose between career success and a high quality of life. They can have both.
That is a powerful message, and one we must continue to amplify.
We have been blessed with incredible natural resources. Now, we must continue to invest in them, protect them, and ensure access to them. By doing so, we are not only preserving our heritage, but we are building our future.
At the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, we are committed to expanding access to outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. Since 2017, we have invested more than $500 million in outdoor recreation access improvements! Whether it is improving our state parks, enhancing trails and waterways access, or conserving critical habitats, our work is directly tied to Alabama’s long-term economic success.
By working in partnership with Innovate Alabama, we will continue to position our outdoors as a cornerstone of our growth strategy, helping us retain the talented young people who might otherwise leave, while attracting new individuals and businesses who are looking for a place to thrive.
Alabama’s great outdoors are more than a point of pride. They are a competitive advantage. And if we continue to lean into that advantage, we will ensure that our state remains not only a beautiful place to visit, but one of the best places in the country to live, work, and build a future.
Chris Blankenship is the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner and Chairman of the Innovate Alabama Outdoor Recreation Committee.
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