Fred Harris family call for change at Harris County Jail after 19-year-old beaten, killed in 2021
HOUSTON - It's been nearly two years since the death of Fred Harris who was killed in Harris County Jail.
Harris was 19-years-old when he was allegedly brutally murdered by Michael Ownby, 25, in October 2021. He would have celebrated his birthday on Thursday, turning 21.
According to court documents, prosecutors contend Ownby attacked Harris with a sharpened spoon while also slamming his head repeatedly on the concrete floor.
SUGGESTED: 'I hope my son did not die in vain:' Outcry for change at Harris County Jail
"He should've never been on the sixth floor, to begin with," said Randall Kallinen, the attorney representing Harris' family.
The attorney says the video of Fred's murder was put under a protective order, and they are moving to lift the order to the public can see the "horrific" video firsthand.
His mother, Dallas Garcia Harris, said she received a call to come to check on her son immediately and when she saw him there were "no bones in his face."
"It was just the most egregious thing that a parent could go through," she says.
RELATED: 19-year-old jail beating victim dead; family donates his organs
Fred was a first-time offender with special needs. He was arrested for allegedly threatening an acquaintance with a knife near a smoke shop in Montrose. He was later charged with aggravated assault.
Dallas said she was assured the welfare of her son with an IQ of 62 would be protected, but the family was furious he was not placed in protective custody pending a mental competency hearing.
"It is a horrible, vicious murder. There's no other way to describe it," Kallinen said. "It's Emmett Till stuff."
On Wednesday, the family held a press conference to remember Fred's life and call on Harris County to do more to prevent more deaths at Harris County Jail.
"What happened to my son was unfair, it was unjust. I'm really hoping to get justice for my son," Dallas said. "I love him and I miss him. We're seeking justice. We're seeking change."
Ownby was charged with murder and his trial is set for Sept. 20.