ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For more than two weeks, the family of a man murdered inside a federal prison in Colorado has been demanding accountability, asking how his death happened inside the facility.
On Sept. 24, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) announced a death inside the federal detention center at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Englewood in Littleton. The press release said Mauritzio Marco Thornwall, 29, was "found unresponsive" and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
A spokesperson with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed the agency was notified about Thornwall's death on Sept. 24. The FBI is investigating the case as a homicide.
No suspects have been publicly identified in the case.
"Who did this? Why did this happen? Why did they let this happen?" asked Thornwall's mother, Consuelo Garcia. "I have so many questions, and nobody's answering them."
Garcia said her son would have turned 30 on Oct. 18. She described him as an artist with a kind heart who wanted to start a business where inmates sell their artwork.
When Thornwall died, Garcia said the prison called her and said her son "passed away." Garcia told Denver7 she did not learn her son was killed until she talked with the Jefferson County Coroner's Office and saw Thornwall's body.
"They won't answer my calls. They won't return our calls. They won't even say, 'Sorry, we're in an investigation.' They won't say anything," Garcia said about the prison. "Nothing adds up, and I'm so angry. I'm so angry."
The autopsy report from the Jefferson County Coroner's Office found Thornwall sustained stab wounds to his back and shoulder, along with an "incised wound" to the neck. His cause of death was determined to be multiple sharp force injuries, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The press release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) states that Thornwall had been incarcerated at FCI Englewood since March 28, 2024.
According to court records, Thornwall and his girlfriend were involved in a verbal altercation on March 21, 2024. The complaint claims Thornwall attempted to flee and was tased before being taken into custody.
Court documents state a gun was found not far from where Thornwall was arrested. He had a handful of prior criminal convictions at the time and was charged with possession of a firearm by a previous offender.
The court docket shows Thornwall entered a not guilty plea in April 2024, before changing his plea to guilty in August 2025. He was scheduled to be sentenced in November.
"His sentencing was coming up, just a month away," said Thornwall. "I want everybody to know my son was not just an inmate. He was a person... It's not okay, and I don't want this to go in vain. You know, I want answers. My family wants answers. I don't want this to happen to somebody else's son, too."
Denver7 reached out to the BOP with Garcia's questions and received a response that states their Office of Public Affairs cannot fulfill our request as a result of the federal government shutdown. Once the lapse in appropriations has been resolved, Denver7 plans to ask the questions again.
FCI Englewood is considered a low-security facility. It's one of 122 institutions across the country within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
