The Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office announced that all claims brought by Jerry Lawler against Hardeman County officials, related to the death of his son, Brian Christopher Lawler, have been dismissed. Christopher, better known to wrestling fans as Grand Master Sexay, was arrested for DUI on July 7, 2018, and was found hanging in his cell on July 29, 2018.
Lawler had sued Hardeman County, Sheriff John Doolen, Leonard Brown, Judy Wiggins, Ellen Futrell, and William Gonzalez, claiming that authorities failed to provide treatment for his son’s drug and alcohol issues. He had also alleged that after Brian Christopher was injured in a fight, he was placed in solitary confinement, where he used shoelaces and bolts from his cell to take his own life. Such items should not have been available for Christopher to use, Lawler’s suit adds.
The WWE Hall of Famer has long disputed the idea that Christopher’s death was self-inflicted. During an interview with WMC-TV in January 2019, Lawler explained that in photos, marks on the side of Brian’s neck are visible but not at the front of his throat (where they would be if he died via hanging himself.) Lawler also stated that Brian’s fellow inmates have told him they don’t think Christopher took his own life.
In September 2022, claims against Sheriff Doolen and Brown were denied, but the suit against Hardeman County, Wiggins, Futrell, and Gonzalez was allowed to proceed. These remaining defendants appealed the ruling, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit later determined that Wiggins, Futrell, and Gonzalez were protected by qualified immunity, which shielded them from being sued by the WWE legend.
In September 2024, the same court reconsidered Lawler’s remaining claims against Hardeman County and granted the county’s motion for summary judgment, effectively dismissing all claims related to Brian Christopher’s death in the Hardeman County Jail.