Deaths in Valdosta-Lowndes County Jail (1994-2009), and the public’s right to know.

My Fellow Americans and Retired Military Veterans in particular. What has our elected officials, local, state, federal governmental agencies, GBI, FBI, Attorney General, civil and human rights organization done to HELP STOP this trend—for whatever reasons?

Ask within your own heart, mind, and soul, when will it all end? And at what cost to each American Family member of these inmates, victims, and love ones?

Had these individuals been a DOG, CAT, HOUSE BIRD, or some other pet on the streets. Our Christian News Media Outlets would have plastered these many deaths all over radio, TV, Internet, and newspapers across the nation.

We may NOT be concerned today, but tomorrow may be our day, but then again who cares? These deaths don't concern me. I don’t know them personally, so why should I care about them, their family members, or the victims. My family members are doing fine today. But I will pray for them, and hope some of their family members join me in CHURCH on SUNDAY!

DEATHS IN THE VALDOSTA-LOWNDES COUNTY JAIL FOR WHATEVER REASON 1994-2009. (A short List).

This list could not have been possible without the help of the following: Jailed inmates themselves, inmates family members, their love ones, civil rights organizations, Valdosta Daily Times, Local Television Website postings on the net, Valdosta Police Department, and the Lowndes County Sheriffs Department that provided Georgia State President Edward Dubose with the first official list of DEATHS:

DO YOU KNOW OF OTHER INMATES? (Galatians 6:7)

1-Willard McFarland, (BLACK), age 63, 01 April 1994 CAUSE OF DEATH: Post-arrest hypoxi encephalopathy to cardiac dysrhythmia, due to cardiomegaly with left ventricular hypertrophy.

2-Willie Lee Gaye, (BLACK), age 39, died 23 October 1995: CAUSE OF DEATH: Chronic Ethanolism

3-James N. Starling, (WHITE), age 63, died 1 May 1996: CAUSE OF DEATH: Coronary atherosclerotic disease

4-Willie James Williams, (BLACK), age 49, died 2 September 1998: CAUSE OF DEATH: Subdural Hemotoma

5-Ronzie Sonny Graham, (BLACK), age 48, died 13 July 2000: CAUSE OF DEATH: Unknown

6-Rosemary King, (NOT PROVIDED), Age 40, died 20 July 2001: CAUSE OF DEATH: High Blood Pressure Hyper Tension

7-Richard William Oakley, (WHITE), age 27, died April 2002: CAUSE OF DEATH: Suicide/Hanging

8-Sandra J. Wallace, (BLACK), age 39, died 31 August 2002: CAUSE OF DEATH: Complications of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

9-Lisa Sanders, (BLACK), age 38, died 2003: CAUSE OF DEATH: Natural Cause

10-John Henry Dejonghe, (WHITE), age 49, died 21 June 2004: CAUSE OF DEATH: Seizure disorder in a background of chronic ethanolism

11-Amaruy Quinones, (HISPANIC), age 34, died 2 September 2005: CAUSE OF DEATH: Self Induced Starvation

12-Esavious Wright, (BLACK), age 29, died, 16 February 2006: CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart Attack

13- Bobby Stanford, (BLACK), age 55, died 23 March 2006: CAUSE OF DEATH: Aneurysm of Aorta

14-Clarence Fender, (WHITE), age 70, died 2 April 2006: CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart Attack

15. George Hill Jr., age 21, (BLACK), died 23 June 2006: CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart Attack

16.NAME WITHHELD, (CJ), REQUEST OF FAMILY: C. Y. (BLACK FEMALE), but available XXXXXXXXX on request, SUICIDE, YEARS EARLIER. (Identified when Georgia State President (Edward Dubose), visited the Valdosta-Lowndes County (Inmate Hill death above) Press Conference held July 5, 2006 at l:00pm.

17. NAME WITHHELD, REQUEST OF FAMILY. (BLACK MALE), but available _________, died in hospital local pastor can verify. He went to this inmate rescue but he died in the hospital. (Not posted at families request)

18.NAME WITHHELD: REQUEST OF FAMILY: Jo. McF. But a local citizen brought this person to the attention of the Local NAACP. Pastor's name known who visited him but WITHHELD.

19. NAME WITHHELD: REQUEST OF FAMILY: (Black Male), Died March 2008, But waiting to see if local media TV-Stations and Newspaper will publish this inmates name and other information whatever reasons.

20. JOEL SMITH, Age 20, died March 2008, (Tuesday), cause of death, suicide by hanging early Wednesday Morning (Capt J.D. Yeager of the Sheriffs Department. Charged with forgery among other violations).

21. MICHAEL WAYNE DIXON, Age 39, died _________, cause of death, suicide, found hanging from his cell, (arrested for armed robbery, aggravated assault and attempting to loot), Arrested on May 13, 2008.

22.NAME WITHHELD, REQUEST OF FAMILY: G.J. (BLACK MALE), died February 2009, waiting local TV-Stations and Newspaper to publish and do their story. Citizens can only ask why these human beings names are not being published to the general public.

SPECIAL NOTE: On May 5, 2005 WHEN fifteen local citizens were arrested by Valdosta City Officials and confined in the Lowndes County Jail for addressing their elected officials.

It was during this period that Lowndes County Jail Inmates informed us. That even more deaths had occurred in our surrounding the jail be kept from the general public.

It is believed that twenty-seven deaths have occurred for whatever reasons, and citizens may never know the real number. And we cannot, or should not just blame Law Enforcement for the high number of deaths.

We must look at the Jail Medical staff, Inmates themselves who keep returning to the Jail, Pastors, Politicians, Citizens and ourselves.

Then there is U.S. District Court Judge Hugh Lawson of the Middle District of Georgia, that identified nearly 105 violations in the jail, back in 1997, from a suit from sever former inmates. Judge Lawson, rendered a decree in Civil Action #89-54-VAL. But no one seem to have followed up on that decree--and it expired, without action! How sad?

Most Americans believes that the general public have a right to know the citizens who perish in their tax paid facility, and that inmates should live to have their day in court.

Moreover inmates insist that inmates are either sent home, or released to the hospital to die. While local news media ignore many of these deaths. Family members claim that they do not get proper medical treatment. While we cannot verify this but there are many letters and official statements in local civil rights archives to this fact. This information is always available for review.

We have proven time and time again that local television, and newspapers failed to report important news to the general public. That inaccurate and false reporting was done concerning several issues concerning the remaining Barber Park, death of Willie James Williams, problems at Polling place and racial threats received and who was the alleged victims of such threats among others.

The citizens must hold their elected officials, news media outlets, scared family members, pastors, friends, nurses among others, accountable for being human being and caring for someone outside of themselves.

Names above were provided from the Valdosta Daily Times, Local Television Stations, Websites, The Lake Park Post, Inmates calls, and letters from the jailed, inmates family members, love ones, friends, public records, Law Enforcement Officers who care, and from the Lowndes County Sheriffs Departments own records provided to Edward Dubois (Georgia State President of the NAACP).

On May 5, 2005, inmates gladly gave their names and talked about other deaths that never reached the general public.

As we review the above list and feel the pain of these inmates family members and love ones. We must NOT, forget the VICTIMS, and our most highly respected and members of Law Enforcement, Judges, civil rights organizations, Attorneys, and ordinary citizens who suffered because of criminals who need to be behind bars.

All Civil and Human Rights Organizations agree. That if they (Inmates), do the crime then they must certainly do the time, and pay their debt to society. Again, we must remember that it is mostly the "INNOCENT" who suffers the most when criminal acts are committed.

SO, to all families who have been victims of crime, or lost a love one to crime. We send our condolences, well wishes and prayers out to you and your love ones.

May God bless, and keep you forever under the shadow of his wings. I trust, and believe fully, that Galatians 6:7 is sometimes the only hope, a loving people have for their fellow human beings, on this planet. Peace!

Copy and Paste: See Video: “A chorus of fear” (Willie James Williams), Death in September 1998.

A CHORUS OF FEAR PART I..
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3930808120854021155

A CHORUS OF FEAR PART II
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=932407478921834517

A CHORUS OF FEAR PART III.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4789998525777845937

A CHOURS OF FEAR PART IV
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7992185722433389243

Blog on jail deaths
http://jaildeaths.blogspot.com/