Rufus Shawn Lane
Rufus Lane died at Valdosta State Prison in Lowndes County, Georgia, in January 2024, while held in the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections; state records give the date as January 13, 2024. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that he was strangled to death and said it verified this through death certificate data and state prison records. His sister, Denise Robinson, told the AJC that he had been locked up for decades and had told her the prison had few officers watching and was particularly dangerous. The Georgia Department of Corrections has not given its account of how he died in the sources available.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Lane was strangled to death, and his sister said staff at the prison had too few officers watching over him.
Reported by: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (reporters).