A 70-year-old man locked up at the Troup County Jail was found unresponsive early Saturday and later died at a LaGrange hospital, according to authorities. The inmate, identified as George Ellis, is the second person to die while in custody at the facility in about a month.
What the sheriff’s office said
The Troup County Sheriff’s Office said staff were alerted to Ellis’ condition at about 2:40 a.m. Jail personnel started life-saving efforts before Troup County Fire Department crews and other emergency responders got to the scene. Ellis was taken to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, where he later died.
Officials said his cause of death has not yet been determined. According to Atlanta News First, Ellis was 70 and had been charged with sexual battery. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in and will conduct an autopsy.
Another death this year
Roughly a month earlier, on March 11, 44-year-old Montavious Rhodes was also found unresponsive during the morning meal pass at the jail and was later pronounced dead after being taken to the same hospital, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center. That in-custody death was reported to have prompted an autopsy by state investigators.
FOX 5 Atlanta reported that in Rhodes’ case, jail staff also began life-saving measures before he was moved to the hospital.
Investigation and next steps
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will perform an autopsy to determine Ellis’ cause of death and lead an independent inquiry, officials said. Toxicology testing and final autopsy findings can take days to weeks, and authorities have not released additional details about what led to Ellis becoming unresponsive.
As Atlanta News First notes, county officials have not offered an explanation for why two inmates at the jail have died in the span of a month.
Why it matters locally
Two deaths in custody so close together are likely to raise tough questions about medical care and oversight at the Troup County Jail, even as officials urge patience while the state investigation runs its course. Families often end up waiting on autopsy and toxicology results before they get any real answers.
We will update this story as more information is released and when the state’s findings are made public.
