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.
The first phase of good news for the Alabama Crimson Tide is happening. While indications are the two best Alabama offensive linemen will move to the NFL, there are eight other (and counting) offensive linemen who not return for the 2026 season. Three are out of eligibility: Jaeden Roberts, Kam Dewberry, and Geno Van DeMark. Five more are portal entries: Micah DeBose, Joe Ionata, Olaus Alinen, Roq Montgomery, and Wilkin Formby.
Why is the attrition good news? There are two reasons. Kalen DeBoer’s offensive lines have needed skill sets in short supply the last two seasons. His offense needs agile, quick-footed offensive linemen. Not many Alabama football fans will disagree, but for those who do, when two late-season games (Georgia and Indiana) are lost by a combined 56 points, a major overhaul is required.
For an offensive line overhaul, the Crimson Tide needed to free up roster slots, to improve talent, and reallocate money. The count of returning offensive linemen (as of late afternoon on Jan. 4) is six: Mike Carroll, Casey Poe, Jackson Lloyd, Mal Waldrep, Red Sanders, and Arkel Anugwon. In addition, the 2026 class added five more: Tyrell Miller (JUCO), Jared Doughty, Chris Booker, Bear Fretwell, and Bryson Cooley
Next for the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama could get lucky and have Parker Brailsford decide to play another season of college ball. Assuming that luck will not occur, three or four offensive linemen need to be added through the Portal. At least two of them need to be tabbed as near-locks to start in next fall’s season opener.
So far, the only target known publicly is Texas State center, Brock Riker. New targets are expected to surface soon, some of whom may not be in the portal yet. According to Yahoo Sports, Riker has been targeted by at least nine Power Four programs, with more offers expected soon.
The large number of transfer exits may be an indication that offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic will also move on. Many Alabama football fans are looking forward to DeBoer bringing in a new OL coach.
According to a report from ESPN’s Max Olson, Alabama Crimson Tide outside linebacker Noah Carter is set to enter the NCAA transfer portal following two seasons in Tuscaloosa.
Carter is the first Alabama outside linebacker to enter the transfer portal so far this cycle.
The outside linebacker originally came to Alabama as a member of the Crimson Tide’s 2024 class, and was one of the first big commitments of the Kalen DeBoer era. Then, Carter was rated as the nation’s No. 109 overall prospect, as well as No. 9 edge rusher nationally, out of Centennial High School in Arizona, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
During his two seasons at Alabama, Carter posted a combined 11 tackles and 0.5 TFL across 14 games played. The outside linebacker appeared in 11 games this past season, posting nine tackles and 0.5 TFL.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
In the aftermath of Alabama’s embarrassing Rose Bowl loss, one of the loudest and most important conversations surrounding the program isn’t just about the offensive line, the play-calling, or the defensive breakdowns. It’s about Ty Simpson, and what comes next for him.
Tom Loy of 247Sports recently added serious fuel to that conversation when he said:
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“If Ty Simpson gets a first-round grade, he’s gone to the NFL. If not, keep an eye on Tennessee and Oregon.”
That’s a big deal. And it’s a conversation worth having.
At this point, there are three realistic paths in front of Simpson: return to Alabama, enter the NFL Draft, or transfer. After the Rose Bowl performance and the questions it raised, nothing feels guaranteed anymore.
The idea of Simpson potentially leaving Alabama is shocking, especially the Oregon part. Tennessee makes some sense. They’ve built a reputation for developing quarterbacks, playing fast, and creating offensive systems that highlight strengths. But Oregon? That hits different. Tennessee is home. Well, at least for Ty. After all, he’s from Martin, Tennessee. And he actually almost chose to go to play for the Volunteers before committing to the Crimson Tide.
The Vols have familiarity, comfort, and a system that could give Simpson the keys immediately.
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That alone makes the possibility unsettling for Alabama fans.
Still, before anyone panics, it’s important to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.
Ty Simpson finished the season completing 305 of 473 passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. Statistically, that’s a strong season. It shows efficiency, decision-making, and growth, even amidst inconsistency. But the Rose Bowl exposed something numbers don’t always tell, the need for experience, command, and comfort under pressure.
That’s where an interesting comparison comes into play: Jalen Hurts.
Like Simpson, Hurts once faced uncertainty at Alabama.
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Like Simpson, he had to make a decision about his future when the situation wasn’t crystal clear.
Hurts chose to leave with the blessing of Nick Saban, transferred to Oklahoma, and had a phenomenal season. That single year of experience, tape, and confidence skyrocketed his draft stock and reshaped his NFL future.
Maybe, just maybe, that same path could exist for Ty Simpson.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Alabama has already lost him.
In fact, one could argue the best thing for Simpson might be another year as a starter, whether that’s in Tuscaloosa or elsewhere.
Quarterbacks don’t just need talent; they need reps, adversity, and film that shows growth. One more season of full command, especially behind a stronger offensive line and a more stable system, could change everything.
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As for the NFL, the message from Tom Loy is clear: if Simpson hears “first-round,” he’s gone.
And he should be.
You don’t pass up that opportunity.
But if the grade comes back lower, returning, or transferring, becomes a smart business decision, not an emotional one.
Right now, nothing is decided.
But the fact that Tennessee and Oregon are even being mentioned tells you how real this situation is. The transfer portal has changed the game of college football, and now, and players like Ty Simpson now have leverage, options, and choices.
The Ty Simpson conversation isn’t just about one quarterback.
It’s about where Alabama football is headed, and how quickly things can change.
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