The family of a 43-year-old inmate who died while behind bars has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Corrections and others for the state of his body when it was returned to the family. The family is also suing for the Department of Corrections’ negligent actions they say may have played a role in his death.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Brandon Clay Dotson’s estate against the Department of Corrections Commissioner John Q. Hamm, the DOC Chief Deputy Commissioner of Corrections Greg Lovelace, and the prison facility’s Warden Karen Williams. The lawsuit also names Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences Director Angelo Della Manna and several unnamed prison employees for their actions that led to the state of his body when it was received. The University of Alabama Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine is also accused of having played a role in taking Dotson's heart.

43-year-old Brandon Dotson was 19 years into a 99-year prison sentence when he was found dead in his bed on November 16 at the Ventress Correctional Facility in Barbour County, Alabama. When the family was able to claim his body after a lengthy process, they say they received his body with his heart missing from it with no explanation.

The family says they had to go through an arduous process to reclaim his body for funeral arrangements. When they were finally given the body, he was so badly decomposed that the family could not hold an open casket as they had wished. Despite the initial autopsy that was conducted, the family would go on to hire autopsy pathologist Dr. Boris Datnow to conduct a second autopsy because the family “suspected foul play, in part because of the Alabama Department of Corrections’ extensive and ongoing violations of basic human and constitutional rights.”

Dr. Datnow’s autopsy uncovered that Dotson’s heart was missing from his chest cavity. “The Alabama Department of Corrections – or an agent responsible for conducting the autopsy or transporting the body to his family – had, inexplicably and without the required permission from Mr. Dotson’s next of kin, removed and retained Mr. Dotson’s heart,” explains the lawsuit.

The disturbing allegations paint an image of carelessness after Dotson’s death. The family says they spent days filling out paperwork and taking the necessary actions to claim their loved one's body, hoping to hold a funeral before Thanksgiving. However, when his body was returned on November 21, the lawsuit said that Dotson’s body “had not been properly stored and was severely decomposed.” There were also noticeable bruises on his neck and swelling across his face.

The complaint details that In the days before his death, Dotson had spent time in segregated housing but was eventually returned to the general population. However, his transition out of segregated housing happened despite concerns that he was being targeted by another inmate.

The lawsuit also takes issue with the understaffing and overcrowding at the jail during his time of death. Although the family still does not know how he died, they say that Dotson tried to obtain help from prison officials after other inmates were harming him because he failed to pay back drug debts. This alongside the issues plaguing the correctional facility at the time of his death may have been a contributing factor to his death, argues the family. As such, the lawsuit maintains that the Department of Corrections’ negligence is what led to their loved one’s death.

“No member in the correctional staff was available to prevent the abuse Mr. Dotson endured and the constant and unlimited access to drugs that he had or to rescue Mr. Dotson timely to save his life, or if they were available, they ignored the warning signs and direct pleas for help when they had every opportunity to intervene and prevent the death of Mr. Dotson,” the lawsuit reads.

The family is also seeking the “immediate return” of Dotson’s heart. The complaint details “Upon information and belief, (University of Alabama Medical School) is a possible intended recipient of Mr. Dotson’s heart.” A spokesperson for the medical school shared late last week, “We have reviewed our records, which show UAB did not perform this autopsy and has not been involved with this matter. We are making the plaintiff’s attorney aware.”

Lauren Faraino, the attorney representing the family, called the Department of Corrections’ actions grotesque, disrespectful, and unacceptable. “This is the fifth case where I've had a funeral director say they've never received a body in such terrible condition," explained Faraino in an interview with ABC News. "At every stage when a family member goes through a DOC (Department of Corrections) death they are disrespected, dismissed, seen as an inconvenience. They are just trying to get basic information. These are people's sons, fathers, and daughters. DOC treats them like they are subhuman."

The family accuses the defendants of violating Dotson’s Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Under these constitutional rights, convicted prisoners are protected from cruel and unusual punishment as outlined in the Eighth Amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment extended these protections to pre-trial detainees.

Other violations listed in the lawsuit include deliberate indifference to serious medical needs; deliberate indifference to health and safety and failure to prevent harm; conspiracy to cover up their indifference to Dotson’s medical and safety needs; wrongful death, negligence, and other counts.

The family is seeking compensatory, punitive, and disgorgement damages along with a temporary restraining order related to the handling of Dotson’s remains including his heart.