Death of Andrew Zamora
Andrew Zamora was a 17-year patient at the South Beach Psychiatric Center on Staten Island on August 17, 1981. The New York State Supreme Court ruled the case a wrongful death; he died after being given a lethal dose of Mesoridazine.
The death of Zamora was featured in the 1983 Academy Award-nominated documentary Children of Darkness.Investigation
Zamora's death sparked an investigation by the New York City Medical Examiner.
At the time of his death, Zamora was restrained with the tranquilizer mesoridazine and held with a "netlike" device over his head.
The initial autopsy by Dr. Elliot M. Gross was unable to determine Zamora's cause of death.
The New York State Office of Mental Health and the State Commission on the Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled began its inquiry after Zamora's parents, Gregory and Georgette, reported fears about potential criminal mistreatment at South Beach.
