The mother of Ronnie White, an inmate killed in jail after being charged with murdering a Prince George's County police officer, filed a $153.6 million lawsuit against the county this week, claiming her son was murdered by jail guards.

The lawsuit, filed in Circuit Court about one year since White was found dead June 29, 2008 in the county corrections center after being arrested for allegedly killing Sgt. Richard Findley, claims guards strangled the 19-year-old in his cell.

"There has been no redress for the killing of Ronnie White," family attorney Bobby Henry said Tuesday at a news conference in Upper Marlboro. "And now, we are still here, with more questions than answers."

Attorneys said they chose to seek $153 million to prompt action by the county on the case.

"This was a tragic event that shocked the state, the county and the country," said Hassan Murphy, Henry's co-counsel. "We are asking for an amount that will shock the state, the county and the country."

A spokesman for County Executive Jack B. Johnson declined to comment on the lawsuit, which he said he had not seen. County police also declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

The lawsuit was filed by Angela White, the mother of Ronnie White. The Prince George's County government, the county correctional center and county police are named as defendants, along with the jail's director, three guards present on White's cell block at the time of his death and a county police officer.

Angela White was not present at the news conference.

Accused guards have claimed Ronnie White hanged himself with a sheet and that they found his body, but that one officer left the prisoner in his cell for others to find.

Henry said guards assaulted and killed White, but gave no motive for the alleged crime. He cited a state medical examiner's report that ruled the death a homicide because the teen's hyoid bone — a U-shaped bone attached to the voice box that creates the bump in a person's Adam's apple — was fractured.

"We have the dead body of Ronnie White," Henry said. "We have an autopsy that says he was [killed]."

Murphy declined to give other evidence that supported their allegations.

"I would expect them to say that, but the evidence doesn't support that accusation," said Clothilda Harvey, a lawyer who represents the county union for correctional officers.

The case has rocked Prince George's County for the past year, sparking protests from resident groups. Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey has been criticized for not pressing charges against the two guards.

In May, Ivey stated he did not have the evidence to pursue charges against the correctional officers.

"We are not confident that truth and justice have been found by the Prince George's County state's attorney," said Murphy, who said he hoped the civil case will bring out more information.

"No one in this lawsuit is running for Prince George's county executive," Murphy said, referring to rumors that Ivey will run for the office in the 2010 election. "Our case is about a real investigation."

Reached later Tuesday, Ivey defended the decision not to press charges.

"I feel the Maryland State Police and the FBI did a thorough investigation. I certainly agreed with the grand jury's conclusion that we did not have enough evidence to charge them with murder," said Ivey, who said the case is now being pursued by the U.S. Department of Justice.

"The department of justice is not running for county executive," said Ivey, adding that the civil case may also produce further evidence.

Henry also disputed police allegations that White was driving the stolen pickup truck that struck and killed Findley, a veteran county police officer, in June 2008, but declined to give evidence.

"[The suicide theory] is based on the fact that he was somehow remorseful for the death of the officer," Henry said. "But Ronnie White was not the driver. He had no reason [to kill himself]."

Throughout the conference, attorneys emphasized that guards had a duty to protect White from harm.

"They had a common law and statutory duty to care for and protect Ronnie White," Henry said.