Valentine’s Day was supposed to bring wedded bliss for Casa Grande residents Cindy Dale and Sean Gorham. Instead, Tuesday will be another day Dale is left wondering why her fiance died just days before she and his family say he was scheduled to be released from prison.
Gorham died Dec. 23 while incarcerated for a nonviolent offense at the privately run Florence West Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility in Florence. His death came four days after his 51st birthday and four days before his release, according to his family.
The Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death as suicide. But Dale, 47, and those closest to Gorham told The Arizona Republic there was nothing to suggest he would have taken his life. A long-planned wedding, an emerging business and a large, supportive family were all waiting for Gorham outside the prison gates.
“He was very excited about his future, getting this past him,” said Gorham’s sister, Mandi Gorham, 45, adding that his loved ones were anticipating belated birthday and Christmas celebrations. “Instead of us being able to hug him, we’re at a funeral home viewing his body.”