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Alabama inmate dies after being ‘tied up, beaten, and rented out’ by prison gang, family says

An Alabama inmate died after being beaten, tortured and sexually assaulted in prison for days — just two weeks before he was due to be released, according to his family.

Daniel Williams, a 22-year-old dad of two infants, was near the end of his one-year sentence for second-degree theft when he was found unresponsive on Oct. 22 at Staton Correctional Facility, two weeks before he died in hospital, Alabama Department of Corrections told AL.com.

His family claims they were not told until Oct. 25 that he was brain dead in a hospital — and that warden Joseph Headley blamed it on drugs.

“I spoke to the warden myself, he said it’s obviously a drug overdose,” Williams’ stepmom, Taylor Bostic, told the Alabama Political Reporter.

She and Williams’ dad, Terry, “just assumed he got a hold of some bad drugs or something,” she said.

“And when we went to see him he’s beaten and bruised up and you can tell where his hands were bound. I mean, you can tell it’s obviously not a drug overdose,” she said.

“And that’s when [dad Terry Williams] called the warden and asked him why the hell he told us that his son is dying from a drug overdose when it’s obviously assault,” his stepmom said.

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“And all he could say after that was it’s under investigation.”

They eventually learned he had been kidnapped and raped or “tied up, beaten, and rented out for two to three days” by another prisoner, the outlet reported, citing prison sources — who claimed such violence was not uncommon there.

“And all he could say after that was it’s under investigation.”

An online fundraiser also said he “was beaten , tortured and sexually assaulted … by a gang of people with only 14 days until his release.”

The dad of two was taken off life support on Nov. 5 and died four days later.

Terry Williams and Bostic have hired a lawyer to hold someone accountable and prevent future attacks, according to the report.

“We’ve got to stop this,” the grieving father reportedly said. “If I can save a couple lives. You know. I’m thankful.”

The warden did not respond to a comment from the outlet.

Corrections officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it is not clear if any inmates have been charged, beyond the fact it is being investigated.

The deadly incident came as the Department of Justice is suing Alabama for failing to prevent inmate violence and abuse from prison guards at its state penitentiaries.

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