Witness in DeKalb schools conspiracy case dies
A former DeKalb County School District employee who was to testify in April in a criminal trial against the former superintendent has died.
The DeKalb Medical Examiner’s office said Cointa Moody appears to have succumbed to natural causes. An autopsy with official results was ongoing Friday. Erik Burton, spokesman for DeKalb District Attorney Robert James, said he learned of Moody’s death Thursday and had no comment about any possible effect on the case against former Superintendent Crawford Lewis, his chief operating officer Pat Pope (she has since changed her name to Pat Reid) and Reid’s former husband, architect Tony Pope.
Moody was Reid’s secretary and was a defendant until last spring when James dropped the indictment against her, saying she would testify for the prosecution. The indictment alleges a criminal conspiracy involving theft from the school district construction fund.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
