On Oct. 15, Daniel Williams expressed hope that he would get his life back on track as he anticipated his release from an Alabama state prison.

“I ain’t got to much longer left pray for me I’m coming home better then I was before drug free it’s been a crazy ride 3 different prisons now,” Williams, an inmate at Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore County, posted to Facebook. “It’s almost over.”

Williams, who was serving a one-year sentence for second-degree theft, was looking forward to Nov. 9, his release date from Staton.

But a week after his Facebook post, the 22-year-old was the victim of a “possible” inmate-on-inmate assault, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.

A week after the allegedly brutal beating that left Williams brain dead, according to his family, they removed life support. Williams died Nov. 5 at the medical unit at Kilby Correctional Facility, four days away from his release.

Williams’ family alleged he was raped and “sold out” to prisoners at Staton.

They also claimed the warden told them he died of a drug overdose, but noticed signs Williams was beaten when they saw him at the hospital.

Efforts to reach a spokeswoman for the Alabama Department of Corrections on the family’s allegations were unsuccessful.

Kelly Betts, the spokeswoman, offered this timeline on the possible beating and Williams’ death:

“On Thursday, November 9, 2023, an inmate death was reported at Kilby Correctional Facility. Inmate Daniel Terry Williams was found unresponsive in the Health Care Unit. Medical staff attempted to revive him, but they were unable to resuscitate him, and he was pronounced deceased by the attending physician.

“On Sunday, October 22, 2023, a possible inmate-on-inmate assault was reported at Staton Correctional Facility. Inmate Williams was discovered unresponsive in his dorm and was transported to the Health Care Unit. Medical personnel treated Williams and monitored his condition. The decision was made to transfer him to an area hospital for further evaluation and treatment. He remained at the hospital until the family decided to remove him from life support. He was transported to Kilby Correctional Facility for long-term comfort care where he subsequently died.”

Betts said the agency is investigating Williams’ death.