This story was published in partnership with The Guardian.
“If I don’t make it out of here,” his brother recalled him saying on the call, “just know that I love you.”
McQuiddy, a 54-year-old man from Nashville, Tennessee, was 23 years into a life sentence for selling crack. The two dozen other defendants in his case had already gotten out, including his younger brother Darrell, who had scored a reduced sentence a few years back.
But due to a technicality, Sean wasn’t so lucky. And when the pandemic hit, he was worried: He was overweight, with high blood pressure, asthma and other breathing problems. In August, he begged prison officials for compassionate release, citing the heightened threat of the virus. But court records show the warden ignored his request. Four months later, McQuiddy started coughing.