According to the New York State Police, correction officers discovered 35-year-old Antawon R. Johnson unconscious inside his cell around 8 p.m. on August 14. Officers responding to the scene reported finding blood in the cell, along with a bed sheet and shoelace around Johnson’s neck. Immediate life-saving measures were attempted by staff before Johnson was transported to the prison infirmary. Despite efforts to revive him, he was later pronounced dead.
Investigators have identified Johnson’s cellmate, 28-year-old Arkies Sommerville, as a person of interest in connection to the death. Authorities say evidence suggests the two men were involved in a physical altercation prior to Johnson being found unresponsive.
An autopsy conducted on August 16 at Glens Falls Hospital confirmed Johnson died from asphyxiation due to strangulation, leading the medical examiner to rule the case a homicide.
The New York State Police are leading the investigation with support from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office, and the New York Attorney General’s Office. Officials have not released additional details about potential charges, but the investigation remains active.
Upstate Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison located in Malone, has been the subject of scrutiny in the past over inmate safety and violence behind bars. The latest incident has raised renewed concerns about conditions within the facility and the challenges correction officers face in maintaining order.
As the investigation continues, authorities say they are working to determine the circumstances that led to Johnson’s death and what role, if any, Sommerville played in the fatal encounter.