Inmate subjected to 'Baby Shark' torture found dead in cell

One of the three inmates who sued Oklahoma jail for the ‘Baby Shark torture’ was found dead in the cell.

John Basco, who along with two other inmates, had filed a lawsuit against Oklahoma County commissioners for forcefully made to listen to ‘Baby Shark’ song on loop, has died, as confirmed by the officials.

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As per the press release issued by the officials, Basco, 48, was found unresponsive in the wee hours of Sunday, in the cell at the Oklahoma County Detention Center, US.

Reportedly, jailers tried to save the man and made efforts to resuscitate him until the emergency providers arrived at the location, however, he was pronounced dead later. Quoting Mark Opgrande – director of communications for the jail – the state media outlet reported, “One of the possibilities being investigated is that it was a drug overdose.”

It is to be noted here that Basco was in jail after being booked into a drug trafficking complaint on Thursday.

For the uninitiated, three former inmates – Daniel Hedrick, Joseph ‘Joey’ Mitchell and John Basco – filed a civil lawsuit in Oklahoma City federal court in November last year, against Oklahoma County commissioners, Sheriff Tommie Johnson III, the jail trust and two former jailers. The former inmates alleged that the tactics used by the above-mentioned individuals were ‘torture events’ – including verbal and physical assault in addition to standing for hours at a time while being forced to listen to the children’s song ‘Baby Shark’. read more