Family of TDCJ corrections officer who died on the job still wants answers

AUSTIN, Texas - It has been 80 days since the death of Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) corrections officer Jovian Motley at the Wainwright Prison in East Texas, and his family wants answers.

The Motley family is expected to speak in front of the TDCJ Board as they demand answers and accountability.

It has been more than two months since the 27-year-old died at the Wainwright Unit, and the Motley family is still left with no definite answers on what happened that day.

According to the family, Jovian was the fourth man in a five-man team attempting to restrain an inmate. Jovian's job was to hold the inmate's legs, while a sixth person, a supervisor, was recording.

Another attorney says the video clearly shows how Motley died. There was speculation that the cell was dimly lit, but after watching the video, the family attorney says you could see that the cell was pitch black.

The family wants to know what started the interaction with the inmate.

According to attorney Justin Moore, they believe the interaction with the inmate was some type of petty grievance that one of the officers had with the inmate.

"It's not just my son," Tammica Motley, Jovian's mother, said. "This stuff has been happening in TDCJ time and time again. My son's story just hit the news."

Tammica Motley says her son's life was cut too short because of bad policy and procedures.

Today, the family will be speaking in front of the board to fill in some of the gaps of what happened that day, and hopefully seek justice for the death of Jovian Motley.