In Aug. 2021, 18-year-old JaMarcus McFarland died in an elevator malfunction at a mixed-use building called 444 Highland in Old Fourth Ward.
ATLANTA — A whistleblower has come forward with evidence that the owners of a building where a teen died in an elevator knew it was unsafe well before the fatal incident.
In Aug. 2021, 18-year-old JaMarcus McFarland died in an elevator malfunction at a mixed-use building called 444 Highland in Old Fourth Ward. Other riders escaped as it dropped, but McFarland became pinned between the top of the elevator and the floor. He died after an hour long attempt to extract him.
As 11Alive previously reported, the elevator, according to state records, was being operated "without current state inspection or operating permit" after the elevator's inspection certificate expired in August of 2020.
“This is a tragic loss because we lost a good young man who had a bright, bright future," said Shean Williams, an attorney with the Cochran Firm in Atlanta. Williams is representing the McFarland family in a lawsuit against the building's management, saying the elevator was overdue for inspection.
“The owners of this building knew about this dangerous condition and had every opportunity to prevent it," Williams said. "It just makes it even worse. You lost your child, but it was preventable.”
Recently, a whistleblower contacted 11Alive with evidence that indicates the building owners skipped critical fixes to save money.
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