Why is the Chatham County DA taking so long to deliberate inmate death investigations?
Investigations of four deaths of Chatham County Detention Center (CCDC) inmates remain unresolved, pending a final decision from the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office, according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) spokesperson.
After an inmate dies at CCDC, the GBI begins investigation, then passes the files to the District Attorney, who decides whether or not to pursue charges in the case. The case can then be administratively closed and files become available to the public.
The open cases include;
Sept. 26, 2021, death of Charles Nelson. According to county records, Nelson died of natural causes.
Jan. 7, 2022, death of Hakiem Reid. According to county records, Reid died by hanging.
March 5, 2023, death of Gregory Woods. According to county records, Woods died from suicide.
April 29, 2023, death of Maurice Small. According to county records, Small died of natural causes.
In an interview, Chatham County DA Shalena Cook Jones confirmed that her office is still reviewing the four investigations.
"When I'm looking at a jail death, I'm looking at whether or not a crime occurred," said Jones. “The only question that they're asking me is whether or not I'm going to prosecute somebody for those deaths. So, for people to say that they're waiting on the DA's office to release the records of their agency, they're not.
“Some of those deaths were affixation. Some of them were suicide. Some of them, there's nobody to blame. But wouldn't you rather a DA who takes their time to make that choice rather than rubber stamping what some other police agency said?"
Jones said there was nothing stopping the CCSO from conducting its own internal investigation or GBI releasing available records. "But I am not going to be rushed or blamed by any office. I'm going to take my time and decide the decisions and the cases that come across my desk.”
The review of the investigations comes as other sheriff candidates call into question the transparency of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), particularly why Sheriff John Wilcher isn’t immediately releasing the cause of deaths at the CCDC.
During an interview in early March, Wilcher countered that he can’t release the cause of deaths due to the ongoing nature of the investigations and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Wilcher held a press conference at the CCSO in late September 2023 to confirm that the deaths of Lloyd James and Marco Ochoa were caused by drug overdoses. Both investigations still are pending at the GBI level.
More: Chatham County Sheriff says two recent inmate deaths caused by drug overdoses
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More: Chatham County jail corrections officer fired, arrested and charged with smuggling drugs
Investigations taking “longer than normal”
Recent investigations have taken, on average, more than 402 days. One case has sat on the DA’s desk for 685 days.
Investigations of three other deaths of CCDC inmates, meanwhile, remain under investigation by the GBI. In a phone call, GBI spokesperson Lindsay Smith said the investigations into the alleged overdose deaths of James and Ochoa took “longer than normal” because GBI investigators were trying to determine how the drugs got into the jail. Those deaths have taken about 180 days for the GBI to investigate.
More: Chatham County District Attorney's office closes four officer-involved shooting cases
The DA chose not to pursue charges in the Feb. 25, 2021, death of Hilary Barnes. CCDC Inmate Robert Michael King died in a hospital on Nov. 28, 2020, but the GBI never investigated his death, according to Smith. Both Barnes and King died of hanging, according to county records. The GBI didn't investigate King's death because he died at a hospital, said Wilcher. According to previous reporting by the Savannah Morning News, two internal investigations of the Sept. 6, 2020, death of Lee Michael Creely revealed that Correct Health employees and corrections officers violated policies and procedures.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Probes into Chatham County jail deaths still pending district attorney decision
