Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigates death in Chatham County jail
On Sunday morning, March 5, an inmate at the Chatham County Detention Center was found unresponsive in his cell. Gregory Alan Woods was pronounced dead by Chatham Emergency Medical Services after attempting life-saving measures, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate.
Woods, 43, had been incarcerated at the detention center since Oct. 26, 2021, when Savannah Police charged him with second-degree criminal damage to property. Two months prior, on Aug. 17, 2021, Savannah Police charged Woods with willful obstruction of law enforcement officers by threat or violence and disorderly conduct.
Woods was homeless, according to the CCDC booking history. Parla Parker, public information officer for the Chatham County Sheriff's Office, wrote in an email that all efforts to locate Woods' next of kin had been exhausted and that anyone with information should contact her at piparker@chathamcounty.org or 912-651-7606.
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According to CCDC records, Woods is the 14th incarcerated person to have died since 2016 when Correct Health contracted with Chatham County to provide medical services at the jail. Investigations reveal that eight of those who have died while in custody committed suicide, three by disease, one by natural causes, and one by overdose.
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Of the four incarcerated people who have died in the detention center since 2020, the GBI and detention center shared documents related to only one death because the Chatham County District Attorney has not deliberated on the others.
Hilary Barnes was booked into CCDC on Jan. 13, 2021, on charges for possession of a controlled substance, and a state custody hold for another charge ― home invasion ― in Camden County. More than one month later, on Feb. 24, 2021, at about 2:15 p.m., Barnes died of suicide by hanging in her cell.
On the day Barnes died, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., Chatham County Sheriff’s Office correctional officers potentially missed 81 security checks in Unit 4C, where Barnes was incarcerated, according to a monitor compliance report. Additionally, while Barnes was supposed to be receiving epilepsy medication in jail, a Feb. 25 autopsy performed on Barnes by GBI Forensic Toxicologist Skye Mullarkey revealed that Barnes tested negative for Leviratacem, an epilepsy medication.
The GBI did not respond to an email and phone call from the Savannah Morning News as to what caused Woods' death.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County Detention Center inmate found dead in cell; GBI investigates
