Two women had died. That much was clear. Their gruesome ordeals were described by the nurse who treated them at the Georgia prison where the women were inmates. So why were there no records of their deaths at the prison? That was the mystery that AJC investigative reporter Danny Robbins set out to solve.

The nurse couldn’t recall the women’s names, only that one became so bloated she looked pregnant and the skin of the other had turned a deep yellow – and that the doctor overseeing the prison had refused to let them see outside specialists. The former warden, tracked down at her home, confirmed the deaths, recalling the memorials she led for both women. But she had no names to offer. Robbins could find no death certificates in the counties surrounding the prison. The county hospital couldn’t help him.  The women’s names seemed to have been erased from memory.

Finally, clues began to emerge. Robbins obtained a 911 call confirming that one woman had been transported from the prison by ambulance. He tracked down former inmates, who told him how the women’s deaths, only days apart, shocked them. Robbins got names. He found the families. And he pressed the Department of Corrections, again, for records that would show what happened.

At MyAJC.com on Sunday, you can read about where his investigation led and about the doctor who still insists that there were no deaths at the prison during his watch.

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8/26/17 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia leaders, including Gov. Nathan Deal, Sandra Deal, members of the King family, and Rep. Calvin Smyre,  were on hand for unveiling of the first statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at the statehouse grounds, more than three years after Gov. Nathan Deal first announced the project.  During the hour-long ceremony leading to the unveiling of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the state Capitol on Monday, many speakers, including Gov. Nathan Deal, spoke of King's biography. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King's famed "I Have Dream" speech. BOB ANDRES  /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres