The father and widow of an inmate killed at the Florida State Prison in Starke filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections, Governor Jeb Bush, Corrections Secretary Michael Moore, Florida State Prison Warden James Crosby and eight former prison guards. Death row inmate Frank Valdes died awaiting execution on Florida's Death Row.

Initially told that their loved one died of a heart attack, Valdes' family is disturbed by autopsy photos showing his bruised and battered body. An autopsy revealed that bones in his face were broken, internal organs damaged, and his scrotum was swollen and bruised. The autopsy photos even showed a bruise in the shape of a boot on Valdes' shoulder.

According to the attorney representing Valdes' family, the autopsy revealed injuries consistent with continual physical abuse at the hands of prison guards.

Seven of the eight prison guards named in the civil suit are charged with second-degree murder in Valdes' 1999 death. Their criminal trial is scheduled to begin in late August.

Valdes was convicted in the death of a Glades Correctional Institution officer during an attempt to escape. He was sentenced to death in 1987. Wanda Valdes married him while he was on Death Row.

A Department of Corrections spokesperson would not comment on the family's lawsuit, but did acknowledge that the agency has taken steps to prevent similar incidents.