Maryland officials this week released a groundbreaking report on state medical examiner investigations of police-custody deaths that found “patterns” of racial and pro-police bias and vowed to review at least three dozen cases dating as far back as 2003.

Some of the cases were high-profile deaths that remained ingrained in the public‘s consciousness. Others have been nearly forgotten by all but the loved ones still grappling with painful memories and unanswered questions.

The Baltimore Banner attempted to reach relatives and attorneys associated with each of the 36 deaths that the audit found should have been ruled as homicides, as opposed to “undetermined” or accidental.

Here’s what we know about the cases so far, listed under the jurisdiction on their medical examiners’ reports. These accounts are based on the state audit released Thursday as well as autopsy records, media reports and interviews with families and loved ones. That city or county may not reflect where they actually lived or died.

Baltimore

Rodney Wilson, 2005: Wilson’s death was apparently not reported by Baltimore media at the time, and little is known about the case from official records.

The Banner reached Wilson’s former partner, William H. Christ Jr., who said Thursday that Wilson died after a physical fight between the two of them that drew a police response. Christ said Wilson had substance use issues and he thought Wilson had overdosed.

The medical examiner listed his death as “undetermined” at the time.

Dondi Johnson, November 2005: Johnson, 43, died after being handcuffed and placed in the back of a police van without a seatbelt, 10 years before the death of Freddie Gray, who died under similar circumstances.

According to The Baltimore Sun, Johnson was arrested for alleged public urination in November 2005. Johnson died two weeks after the ride with police, during which his spine was dislocated and fractured, causing him to become a quadriplegic. Family members also accused officers of kicking and beating Johnson. The family was awarded $7.4 million in 2010 and the police van’s driver was found to be grossly negligent.

Attempts to reach Johnson’s family Thursday were unsuccessful. His death was initially ruled as accidental.

William Washington, May 2006: Washington, 32, became unresponsive and died after he was placed in leg irons and lifted onto a stretcher, according to an autopsy report.

According to the autopsy, Washington entered a bar agitated and “profusely sweating” and was placed in handcuffs after grabbing an officer’s leg. He was reported to be combative. His death, ruled undetermined, was attributed to “excited delirium” and cocaine.

A major finding of the medical examiner audit underscored that excited delirium is not a valid medical condition and has no basis in science.

His obituary described him as a “beloved father, son, brother, uncle and friend” who was “always speaking to his son” and mentored young boys. Attempts to reach Washington’s family were unsuccessful.

Carlos Branch, 2007: Little is known about Branch’s death, which was apparently not reported in Baltimore media at the time. Police reports and autopsy information were not immediately available. His death was initially ruled as “undetermined.” Relatives of Branch could not be located.

Thomas Campbell, August 2007: Campbell, 50, died after he was shocked with a Taser by Baltimore Police officers in West Baltimore, according to media reports.

Campbell’s death stirred controversy over use of the “less-than-lethal” weapon at the time, and media reports noted he was the fifth death in Maryland that year linked to police use of Tasers. Baltimore Police officials defended their use of the weapons at the time. The medical examiner initially ruled his manner of death to be “undetermined.”

Autopsy information was not available on Friday and relatives of Campbell could not immediately be reached.

Eric Dorsey, 2011: Little is known about Dorsey‘s death, which was apparently not reported in Baltimore media at the time. Police reports and autopsy information was not immediately available. His death was initially ruled as “natural.” Relatives of Dorsey could not immediately be located.

Don Thomas, June 2011: Thomas, 48, died from “excited delirium” according to official records, his sister, Lana Thomas, said Thursday.

Details of his death were not available and the Baltimore Police Department did not respond to a request for comment. But Thomas said when she went to the scene where her brother was arrested in Baltimore, people told her police “killed” her brother because of how they had him restrained.

The audit results mean a lot to Thomas, whose brother’s official cause of death — undetermined — never sat right with her. She said she wants justice for the “unjustified” way her outgoing and sweet brother died.

“He was restrained by police and he died by their hands,” Thomas said. “It’s a relief that somebody opened their eyes to see there was something wrong.”

Jontae Daughtry, October 2011: Daughtry, 36, was shot in the left arm by a Baltimore sheriff’s deputy, according to media reports.

The deputy said Daughtry attempted to get into the deputy’s cruiser and attack him while he was stopped at a red light, according to the The Baltimore Sun.

A month later, Daughtry’s condition had worsened to critical. His mother, Sherrell Daughtry, told The Sun in November 2011 that she was informed by a neurologist that her son’s brain was swollen “due to a hit” and that her son had struggled with officers.

Daughtry said doctors told her that her son was then sedated and suffered an allergic reaction from the medication. She expressed frustration that she could not get clearer answers about her son, whom she described as suffering from mental health issues.

His death was initially ruled as “undetermined.” Relatives of Daughtry could not be reached immediately this week.

Tyrone West, July 2013: West, 44, died after 12 police officers punched, pepper-sprayed, and pinned him to the ground after beating him with batons after he’d already given up, according to officer statements and witness accounts.

While a 2013 autopsy found West died from a heart issue worsened by dehydration, heat and the struggle with police, a 2016 independent autopsy commissioned by his family attributed his death to asphyxiation while being restrained. The medical examiner’s office had listed his manner of death as “undetermined.”

West’s death spurred his sister, Tawanda Jones, to call for justice for more than a decade. She’s held more than 600 protests to keep attention on her brother’s case. Jones said Thursday she was brought to tears upon finding out West’s death should have been ruled a homicide 12 years ago.

“It feels so, so great,” Jones said.

But with the joy, there’s also uncertainty, because this report isn’t justice, Jones said. Jones said she hopes the police officers who were involved in her brother’s death will be prosecuted — much like the officers involved in the death of George Floyd were prosecuted.

“Until I see a killer cop in a cell block, my brother’s not resting, nor am I,” Jones said.

Ricky Artis, 2014: Little is know about Artis’ death, which was apparently not reported in the Baltimore media at the time. Police reports and autopsy information were not immediately available, and relatives of Artis could not be located. His death was initially ruled as “undetermined.”

George King, May 2014: King, 19, died after Baltimore police Tased him multiple times in an effort to subdue him.

King had been taken to a hospital after having what his family said was a bad reaction to a medication and he’d become combative. The medical examiner’s office said the death was from natural causes, but the death sparked protests from family and friends as well as a review of the use of Tasers.

An obituary for King said he was a high school graduate and was scheduled to begin classes at Baltimore City Community College.

Antonio Moreno, March 2014: Moreno, 67, died after an altercation on a Maryland Transit Administration bus.

Media accounts said transit police accused him of being combative on the bus and were retraining him when he went into cardiac arrest.

He was revived and taken to an area hospital, where he again went into cardiac arrest and died. The medical examiner initially ruled the manner of his death as undetermined. Attempts to reach his family have been unsuccessful.

Baltimore County

Thomas Rawls, March 2006: Rawls, 32, was handcuffed by Baltimore County Police Department officers who were responding to a report of a burglary and placed on his stomach, a position known to restrict breathing.

Chad Rawls, his brother, said he didn’t believe Thomas was committing a crime at the home but rather seeking help. He described his brother as someone who struggled with drug use but did not deserve to die in custody. The family never pursued civil litigation in his case, Chad Rawls said.

Thomas Rawls’ autopsy was performed by Dr. Pamela Southall, a former state medical examiner who once led the office. Southall listed Rawls’ cause of death as “excited delirium associated with cocaine intoxication while being restrained” and his manner of death was listed as “undetermined.”

Southall was a proponent of the now-discredited “excited delirium” theory that has been rejected by the larger medical community.

Ryan Meyers, March 2007: The death of Meyers, 40, sparked a heated debate over police use of Tasers at the time, according to reports in The Baltimore Sun.

The case drew attention from the ACLU of Maryland. Former Baltimore County Councilman and ex-police officer Vincent J. Gardina called at the time for a review of the Police Department’s policies.

Meyers was described in news reports as mentally ill. Baltimore County officers said they responded to his Middle River home for a domestic disturbance and shocked him with a Taser after he refused to drop a baseball bat.

At the time, Meyers’ father and brother disputed the police account, reporting that he cried out, “I give up,” and screamed as police officers continued to stun him.

The medical examiner listed Meyers’ manner of death as “undetermined,” and the family filed a civil lawsuit that was ultimately unsuccessful. Family members could not be reached immediately for comment.

Carl D’Andre Johnson, May 2010: Johnson, 48, was heading to a friend’s home after Bible study class when he crashed his Toyota pickup truck on Interstate 795, according to reports by The Baltimore Sun.

Maryland State Police and Baltimore County Police Department officers responded to the scene and described Jonhnson as “acting abnormally,” saying that an officer reached through the window and Johnson grabbed his hand.

According to a civil lawsuit filed by Johnson’s wife, the state trooper then pepper sprayed him and a Baltimore County officer on the scene struck him with a baton. Other Baltimore County Police officers then used a Taser on Johnson, striking him once, then another time when he attempted to stand up, the lawsuit claimed.

The lawsuit cited a witness who reported seeing Johnson lying on his back with his hands in the air, shouting “help” numerous times. He had no arrest history and did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The medical examiner had classified his death as “undetermined.”

The outcome of the lawsuit was not immediately clear from court records. An attorney for the family reached on Thursday said he remembered the case, but declined immediately to disclose details about its outcome.

Mary Beth Croker, July 2010: Baltimore County Police officers responded to a report of someone breaking into a vehicle and attempted to arrest Croker, 41, leading to a struggle, according to police reports.

Police accused Croker of attempting to fight a responding officer by stabbing him with a pen and reaching for his weapon. But Croker’s son, Tim Croker, disputed that account, saying the vehicle his mother was accused of breaking into was her own Jeep.

Mary Beth Croker was handcuffed amid the struggle and placed on her stomach when she stopped breathing. Her death was also attributed to the now-discredited “excited delirium” theory and cocaine intoxication in the state medical examiner’s report.

Tim Croker said his mother was a loving person and that her death has shattered his family. He said he and other relatives were not in a position to pursue civil litigation at the time of her death.

Tawon Boyd, Sept 2016: Boyd, 21, died after being restrained and punched by officers responding to a home invasion call in the Middle River neighborhood, according to media reports.

Boyd’s family sued Baltimore County, alleging excessive force, and secured a $1.1 million settlement, according to news accounts. The family alleged that emergency medical personnel responding to the scene gave him the drug Haldol to calm him down, which sent him into cardiac arrest.

The lawsuit challenged the medical examiner’s finding that the death was “accidental” by enlisting independent medical experts. They said Boyd’s death was the result of asphyxiation and injuries inflicted by officers trying to restrain him.

Family members for Boyd and the attorney who represented them could not be reached immediately for comment.

Anne Arundel County

Shawn Floyd, September 2018: Floyd, 55, died a week after he became unresponsive while police took him to the ground and handcuffed him, according to media reports at the time.

Police said they were responding to two possible overdoses at a tavern in Pasadena. Floyd was loaded into an ambulance, but police said he got out and assaulted an officer, leading to his restraint on the ground.

Reached by phone Friday, Floyd’s brother declined to comment. The medical examiner initially ruled his death as “undetermined.”

Carroll County

Dominic Edwards, March 2018: Edwards, 54, died at the Carroll County Detention Center after a struggle with correctional officers, according to police reports.

Media coverage of the case at the time was sparse, but Carrol County Sheriff’s Office documents uploaded to MuckRock said that Edwards was placed in a restraint chair by several officers and equipped with a “spit hood,” a covering placed over someone’s head to keep them from spitting.

At some point, Edwards stopped moving, the police report said. Investigators found blood at the scene and multiple signs of injury to Edwards. The medical examiner listed his manner of death as “undetermined.”

Family members of Edwards could not be reached immediately for comment.

Talbot County

Anton Black, September 2018: Black, 19, died after police handcuffed him and shackled his legs outside his family’s home in Greensboro.

Black died after being chased, Tasered, and restrained by police, who also stayed on top of him for almost six minutes, when Black stopped breathing, according to The Baltimore Sun. At the time of his death, Black was about to become a father, according to The Sun. The medical examiner initially ruled that his death was accidental.

As part of a family lawsuit, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University said asphyxiation caused Black’s death. His family won a $5 million settlement in 2022 and his death spurred police reform, including “Anton’s Law,” which allows the public to access police disciplinary records.

Attempts to reach Black’s family and their attorneys were unsuccessful Thursday.

Montgomery County

George Barnes, 2007: Little is known about Barnes’ death, which was not apparently reported in the media at the time. Police reports and autopsy information were not immediately available Friday, and relatives of Barnes could not be located. His death was initially ruled as “undetermined.”

Kareem Ali, October 2010: Ali, 65, died after struggling with Montgomery County Police Department officers, who then used a Taser on him near his White Oak home, according to media reports at the time.

Ali’s family later sued the county, arguing that Ali was mentally disabled and that police had also pepper sprayed him, using excessive force. According to the lawsuit, Ali lost consciousness in the back of a police transport van. His death was initially ruled as “undetermined.”

The Ali family and Montgomery reached a $450,000 settlement in the case, according to media reports.

Delric East, June 2011: East, 40, of Silver Spring, died of PCP and alcohol intoxication and his death was ruled an accident, according to his autopsy. He was reported to have been driving when he crashed into a guardrail and was unconscious when officers arrived on the scene, then became combative while being pulled out of the vehicle. He was placed face down, handcuffed, and struck four times with a Taser for a total of 37 seconds, according to the autopsy report.

The account says he continued to flail. East was placed face down on a stretcher while handcuffed, and loaded into an ambulance, according to the report. He was strapped down and broke one of the straps at one point, they said. Police reported that as the ambulance arrived at the hospital, he stopped breathing.

Medical examiners said they considered “excited delirium” as his manner of death, but concluded that the substances in his system were the cause. They ruled his death as accidental.

Attempts to reach a family member this week were unsuccessful.

Anthony Howard, April 2013: Howard, 51, of Gaithersburg, died after being repeatedly struck with a Taser by Montgomery County Police officers. The autopsy concluded he died of “agitated delirium” during his police restraint, a manner of death associated with cocaine intoxication that was complicated by heart disease.

The Baltimore Sun article in 2016 included an account of a 17-minute video showing Howard in a standoff with police. The video, according to The Sun, showed him dancing barefoot on top of a car, muttering gibberish and avoiding police pepper spray until officers shocked him nine times with their Tasers.

He stopped breathing and died shortly afterward, the paper reported. Medical examiners initially ruled his manner of death as “undetermined.”

“These officers have to be held accountable. They’re very Taser-happy,” his sister, Robbin, told The Sun.

A civil rights violation claim against the county was settled in 2017 for $1.75 million, without the county admitting liability. “Anthony Howard’s death was tragic and unnecessary,” the family attorney, Hassan Murphy, said at the time.

Ricardo Manning, March 2019: Little is known about the death of Manning, who was 44. Media, police and autopsy reports were not immediately available.

An online obituary says Manning died on March 12, 2019, in Hyattsville, but additional details about his death were not available. Medical examiners initially ruled that his manner of death was “undetermined.”

Prince George’s County

James Jackson, 2003: Little is known about Jackson’s death, which was not apparently reported in the media at the time. Police reports and autopsy information were not immediately available Friday and relatives could not be identified. His death was initially ruled “undetermined.”

Cedric Gilmore, June 2004: Gilmore, 41, lost consciousness in an ambulance and was pronounced dead at a hospital after he was handcuffed by Prince George’s County Police, according to The Washington Post.

At the time, police said Gilmore was belligerent and appeared to be hallucinating. They said Gilmore broke the glass on the rear window of a minivan and charged at police, who “suffered minor cuts and bruises.”

On Thursday, Gilmore’s son, Malcolm Gilmore, disputed those accounts. Gilmore, who was 8 and with his father on the day of his death, said his dad was drunk and only broke out of the car to run from police, not at them. He said police tackled and beat his father.

Prince George’s County Police did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Malcolm Gilmore, now 29, said the audit confirmed what he already knew: The police had something to do with his father’s death. Medical examiners initially ruled the elder Gimore’s manner of death to be “undetermined”.

“The state recognizing it doesn’t really make a difference to me,” Malcolm Gilmore said. “I don’t think my dad would care much about justice. Because he’s dead.”

Gilmore said what’s important now is ensuring deaths like his dad’s stop happening and that police are held accountable. Still, he said he’s worried that the Trump administration will stall those efforts.

“I hope it makes more of a difference than I’m assuming it will make,” Gilmore said. “In Maryland, at least, I’m sure it’ll make some difference.”

Alexis Caston, September 2007: Caston, 33, died September 16, 2007, and left behind two children, according to an obituary. Details of his death were not available. Medical examiners initially ruled the manner of death to be “undetermined.”

Reached by phone Friday, his brother said he was surprised Caston was included in the audit, but declined to comment.

DeOntre Dorsey, March 2015: Dorsey, 32, died in a hospital nine months after a Charles County sheriff’s corporal used a Taser on him on the side of the road.

The medical examiner’s office initially called the death undetermined.

A federal civil rights complaint filed by his family said Dorsey, who reportedly stopped his car on the side of the road after having a seizure, was shocked several times, went into cardiac arrest and lapsed into a coma before his death.

The complaint said a bystander had called 911 and paramedics were able to get him out of the car, but when police arrived he did not respond to commands and was stunned and shackled.

When officials noticed he’d stopped breathing, they took him for medical care.

In an obituary, Dorsey was described as a diehard Cowboys fan who loved basketball, gangster rap and drag racing. The obituary also said he loved his children and was determined to keep them on “the straight and narrow.”

Frederick County

Jarrel Gray, November 2007: Gray, 20, died after being stunned with a Taser by a Frederick County sheriff’s deputy, a case that led to a civil rights lawsuit that was ultimately unsuccessful at trial, according to media reports.

Attorneys for Gray’s parents accused the sheriff’s deputy in their lawsuit of being “sadistic” in his treatment of Gray, who was hard of hearing. They alleged Gray was shocked twice with the Taser after deputies responded to a fight involving three young men in a subdivision just south of Frederick, according to media reports.

A 10-member jury found that the sheriff’s deputy was not liable in the case because his actions were in self-defense and he used reasonable force. The deputy had said at trial that Gray ignored commands to get down and show his hands to police, according to media reports.

Gray’s parents could not be reached immediately for comment. The office had ruled his death to be “undetermined.”

Anthony Casarella, December 2007: Casarella, 34, died in the hospital after having trouble breathing on the way to jail, according to news accounts at the time.

Casarella sought help from strangers, who called 911 because he seemed disoriented. The news reports said Maryland State Police said he became combative and was restrained. His cause of death at the time was reported as “cocaine-induced delirium during restraint.” The manner of death was initially found to be “undetermined.”

Attempts to reach Casarella’s family were unsuccessful.

Terrance Watts, June 2018: Watts, 26, died after becoming unresponsive when police responded to a call about a disturbance, police said in a news release. He died at an area hospital and his death was ruled an accident.

Marcia Peterson, Watts’ mother, said in an interview officials from the Frederick Police Department told her he’d gone into cardiac arrest and they tried to save him. Peterson said learning about the audit Thursday brought all the feelings of loss and confusion from that day flooding back.

“He was a healthy 26-year-old, a baby, my baby. How does that happen? No one ever explained,” said Patterson, who is now hoping her family, including Watts’ now-11-year-old daughter, get answers and feel at peace. She’s also hoping someone will be held accountable. “He’s loved, he’s missed. It’s not right or fair.”

Watts’ death was initially ruled by medical examiners to be accidental.

Washington County

Theodore Rosenberry, April 2006: Rosenberry, 35, died after Washington County sheriff’s deputies used a Taser on him, according to The Washington Times. Police said he became combative when they tried to handcuff and question him about an alleged attempted break-in. His death was attributed to an enlarged heart and cocaine use.

Rosenberry was a dad and correctional officer at the Maryland Correctional Institution in Hagerstown who loved his job, according to his widow, Triniti Pabon. Pabon said losing her husband “destroyed my life completely.” She’s grateful that ”the truth will see the light,” even if she never expected it to take nearly 20 years.

“Teddy deserves justice. His daughter deserves it. His mother deserves it. And I deserve it,” said Pabon, 55. “He was too young to die.”

Rosenberry’s manner of death was initially ruled to be “undetermined.”

Darrell Brown, April 2015: Brown, 31, died after a Hagerstown Police officer shot him with a Taser twice. He was shocked the second time while his right hand was handcuffed, according to CBS News.

His autopsy report attributed Brown’s death to drug-induced “excited delirium” and concluded his manner of death was “undetermined.”

Attempts to reach Brown’s family Thursday were unsuccessful.

Wicomico County

Ronald Byler, July 2005: Byler, 37, was in a car crash and died in the hospital after interacting with police officers, according to a media report at the time.

Driving late on a Saturday night, Byler lost control of his car and hit a tree, the article said. He then got out of the car, started breaking the windows of a nearby car, and assaulted firefighters and a state trooper, authorities said at the time. The cause of death was undetermined.

Byler’s obituary said he loved adventure and his friends and family but had an “unrivaled love of horses.”

His brother, reached by phone Thursday, declined to immediately comment.

Yekuna McDonald, May 2012: McDonald, 23, died at the hospital after becoming unconscious while being carried to a police car, according to several media accounts at the time.

Police said the Virginia Beach, Virginia, resident was handcuffed and arrested by Pocomoke City Police after a car crash. His mother, Jacquese O’Connor, said lawyers wouldn’t take her case because of the “undetermined” ruling after her son died.

“This goes to show that if the coroner would’ve done his job properly, there would have been at least some justification in penal damages from law enforcement that caused this to happen,” said O‘Connor, 52. “It’s sad. But it’s been years now. So I’m not that sad to talk about it. But it’s good to at least get some vindication that his death certificate should not say what it does say.”

O‘Connor said her son, who served in the U.S. Navy, was known for showing up unannounced and giving “great, infectious” bear hugs.

“He had the biggest spirit in the family, so it really devastated everyone,” O‘Connor said.

This story may be updated.