Casa Grande residents Cindy Dale and Sean Gorham were looking forward to a day of wedded bliss on Valentine’s Day. However, tragedy struck when Dale’s fiancé passed away just days before his scheduled release from prison. Now, Dale is left to wonder why fate dealt her such a cruel hand.
Gorham passed away on December 23 while serving time for a nonviolent offense at the privately operated Florence West Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility in Florence. His family revealed that his death occurred just four days after his 51st birthday and four days before his scheduled release.
The Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the cause of death was suicide. However, Dale, 47, and those who were closest to Gorham expressed disbelief, as there were no apparent signs that he would have chosen to end his own life. Gorham had a future wedding that had been meticulously planned, a growing business, and a loving and supportive family eagerly awaiting his release from prison.
“He was filled with anticipation for his future, looking forward to putting this behind him,” expressed Mandi Gorham, Gorham’s sister, aged 45. She further mentioned that the family had been eagerly awaiting belated birthday and Christmas festivities. “Instead of being able to embrace him, we find ourselves at a funeral home, gazing upon his lifeless body.”
Sean Gorham’s death is currently under investigation by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. He is one of the five reported inmate suicides in Arizona between December 16 and January 8.
Questions abound
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According to the autopsy report, History has a history of suicidal thoughts and has been placed on suicide watch in the past.
The Department of Corrections declined to comment on Friday afternoon when questioned about whether Gorham was on suicide watch before his death, citing an ongoing investigation (The Republic).
“What is it that they are missing in their experience? Why aren’t they witnessing this happening to others? There must be something they are neglecting,” expressed Mandi Gorham. “We have numerous inquiries and it seems that we are not receiving satisfactory responses.”
Frances Gorham, the 26-year-old daughter of Sean Gorham, remains unconvinced that her father would have taken his own life.
“This is not my dad. It’s not something he would do,” she expressed.
She can’t comprehend why they didn’t take him to a hospital if they needed a medical consultation to determine her father’s cause of death.
Frances Gorham expressed her lingering thoughts, questioning whether any actions could have been taken to potentially save him.
Frances Gorham was unsettled when she requested to speak with the two guards who were responsible for watching over her father in prison, only to be informed that they were on vacation just two days after his death. She expressed her dissatisfaction, stating that she and others have yet to receive Sean Gorham’s belongings.
A future undone
Sean Gorham, who was convicted in 2019 in Apache County for theft of means of transportation and drug paraphernalia in March 2016, has been granted parole in 2021, as per inmate records. According to his family, Gorham was released on parole. Court records from Maricopa County show that he violated his parole on June 11 by being in possession of dangerous drugs.
Sean Gorham’s three women in his life all agreed that, regardless of what led him back to prison, he had a strong determination to make things right once he was released. They pointed to his history of compassion as evidence of this. Specifically, they mentioned how he had been a devoted caregiver to his ailing grandfather during the last two years of the octogenarian’s life.
Mandi Gorham fondly remembers him as someone with a kind and compassionate nature.
According to records from the Corrections Department, Gorham participated in the Merging 2 Worlds program. This program, offered through Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, focuses on fostering both professional and personal development.
Mandi Gorham shared that her brother had successfully obtained a contractor’s license and was on the verge of starting his own landscaping business. She emphasized the fact that he had a loving family, consisting of six children and 11 grandchildren, eagerly awaiting his return home.
Frances Gorham expressed that her father held an immense love for her oldest daughter, considering her as his entire world.
Sean Gorham and his fiancée, Cindy Dale, maintained regular communication during his time in prison. Despite being physically apart, they were able to connect through daily messages and phone calls. Throughout their conversations, they eagerly discussed their upcoming wedding on February 14th. Rather than celebrating Valentine’s Day conventionally, they decided to exchange vows in the presence of their close family members.
Dale had eagerly awaited a day that she had envisioned as the beginning of a lifetime filled with joy alongside Gorhan, who, according to her, had a knack for bringing a smile to her face and making her burst into laughter.
But before their wedding day, they planned to make up for the time lost while Gorham was away by celebrating his birthday and Christmas.
Dale shared that they would simply have a grand celebration for New Year’s.