Two DeKalb County inmates died after being found unresponsive in their jail cells within 24 hours, the sheriff’s office said Tuesday.
The causes of death have not been released, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office said. Sheriff Melody Maddox has requested the GBI investigate the deaths, which are unrelated.
On Monday, Anthony Lamar Walker, 34, was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead, investigators said. Walker, who lived in Lithonia, had been in custody since Dec. 18 on charges of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Then on Tuesday, Jackson Orukpete, 57, was also found unresponsive and died, the sheriff’s office said. Orukpete, who lived in Clarkston, has been in custody since July 25 on a battery charge.
No further details on the two deaths were released.
An investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that nearly 1,000 people in Georgia have died in local jails and state and federal prisons since October 2019. Causes include illness, homicide, suicide, accidents and use of force by law enforcement.
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