John Ekers
John Ekers, 54, died on July 3, 2021, while held at Ware State Prison in Waycross, Georgia. Cell phone video showed his body slumped over a second-floor railing, and people held in the same unit told reporters that no officer had been on the floor for hours. The Georgia Department of Corrections said it did not suspect foul play and that its Office of Professional Standards was investigating. The Southern Center for Human Rights has linked his death to staffing shortages across the state prison system.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (neglect alleged). People held there said no officer had been on the floor for hours before he was found slumped over a railing, and the Department of Corrections said no foul play was suspected while its Office of Professional Standards investigates.
Reported by: Georgia Department of Corrections spokesperson (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.