Andre Rashad Weems
Andre Rashad Weems, 36, of Clayton County, was stabbed at Hancock State Prison near Sparta, Georgia, and died on September 9, 2025. Hancock County Coroner Dontrelle Andrews said he was taken to the prison infirmary and pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m., and that the wounds appeared to be from a homemade knife, with the state medical examiner to determine the cause and manner of death. The Georgia Department of Corrections described an altercation involving multiple people and said its Office of Professional Standards is investigating. A Hancock County grand jury declined to indict the men accused in his killing, and the district attorney said the case would likely be dismissed. The district attorney also said there were not enough officers in the dormitory and that doors were unsecured, which he attributed to the Department of Corrections.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). The coroner said Weems was stabbed several times and ruled it a homicide, the corrections department said he died after an altercation with multiple people, and the district attorney said staff left the dorm with too few officers and unsecured doors.
Reported by: Hancock County Coroner Dontrelle Andrews (medical examiner or coroner); Georgia Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); Hancock County District Attorney.