Family of former Rhea County executive files wrongful death lawsuit

Thacker with daughter and grandchild / Strom Law Firm

RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) —  The family of former Rhea County Executive George Thacker has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit.

Thacker died less than three weeks into his 33 month sentence at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Edgefield, South Carolina.

Strom Law Firm (SLF) states prison officials ignored his repeated complaints and failed to treat the medical condition that led to his death on December 26, 2022.

According to the lawsuit, Thacker was apparently sick and was having trouble walking from his first day in FPC-Edgefield.

Thacker’s health declined rapidly, and on December 25, he complained of abdominal pain to medical personnel at the facility.

According to SLF, instead of conducting a physical exam, medical tests or sending Thacker to the hospital, prison officials simply gave him an ibuprofen and sent him back to his dorm.

Thacker continued to make staff aware of his pain, however, he died the next morning due to perforated duodenal ulcer and peptic ulcer disease.

Attorneys representing the family spoke about the case, saying:

“If the prison officials had taken George Thacker’s pain seriously and provided him with proper medical care, this father of two and grandfather of three would be alive today.  Instead, they ignored him and let him suffer and die alone.”

-Bakari Sellers

“George Thacker was sentenced to FPC-Edgefield. But it wasn’t a death sentence.  These prison officials chose to ignore Mr. Thacker.  They chose to deny him the medical care he needed and their choices killed him.”

-Mario Pacella

At this time, no date for trial has been released.