Yet, no one has bothered to check the paperwork. It makes better headlines to spin the story without any facts.
You hit the nail on the head. Nobody even knows if he ever had another cellmate once he was removed from suicide watch. If he did tell staff someone had tried to kill him, he more than likely wouldn't have had anyone else placed with him.
Prison facilities hate it when somebody offs themselves, or gets murdered behind bars, because it creates a lot of paperwork, and nobody likes to have to deal with that, or the legal ramifications that could ensue. Correctional Officers are told not to make their rounds at set times, because the inmates will clock you, and be able to plan whatever mischief they want during the time they know you won't be around. We were told to conduct our rounds at irregular times, so the inmates would have no idea that we were coming. That wasn't so easy in Auburn Prison where I started, because you had to unlock the end gate, and lock it behind you once you entered the gallery. They always knew when you were coming, because it was like an echo chamber, and inevitably, your keys would jingle, or there'd be a transmission on your radio. It was a very rare occurrence when you could sneak up on anyone walking down the gallery. Once you entered the gallery, some inmate would yell "walking", and everyone would then know that an officer was approaching.
On midnights, the place was very quiet. Two officers worked each block, and they would make their rounds together...on a staggered schedule. One officer would stand on the gallery landing, and unlock the end gate, while the other officer walked down the gallery to check on the inmates using a flash light. You'd be locked on the gallery, and at the other end of the gallery, was another end gate that you had a key for to let yourself off, and lock behind you. There was another landing at the back where you let yourself out to, and you'd simply walk across to the end gate on the other side of the block, unlock it, and make your way down that gallery, checking inmates along the way. The second officer would be standing at the front end gate, waiting for you to finish so they could let you off, and lock the gallery back up. There were at least 6 galleries in each block at Auburn: A, B, C, D, and E. A block was where inmates who worked in the industrial area were kept. B block was for all the mess hall workers. C block was for inmates who went to school, and had jobs in other parts of the prison. D block was mostly for new inmates who had come in, and may not yet be assigned a program. Can't remember who was housed in E-block except for the Honor gallery, which was the top floor of the building.