VALDOSTA, Ga. – According to a statement released by the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC), a death on May 26 is being investigated as an “suspected suicide.”
Last Sunday, at approximately 11:30 a.m., correctional officers found inmate Astair Holmes Jr. (GDC#1001378261) unresponsive in his cell.
According to the GDC website’s offender search, Astair Holmes is not in the system as of Wednesday afternoon.
Emergency Medical Services were called and life saving measures were performed, according to GDC.
Holmes was pronounced deceased by the facility physician at approximately 12:10 p.m. GDC is conducting an investigation into the death, as standard procedure.
Holmes, convicted of robbery by force in Houston County, had a maximum release date of 2025.
According to a VDT report, there have been multiple deaths at both the Lowndes County Jail and at the prison within the last year:
• Inmate Simon Warren died April 14 after a suicide attempt, according to state prison officials.
• Kealy Williams, 37, died March 30 from injuries caused by a fight with another inmate, according to a corrections department statement.
• In August, Joshua Roman died of injuries sustained in a fight, according to the corrections department.
• In July, Herman Galeno, 31, was found unresponsive in his cell.
• In June 2018, David Cordova was found unresponsive in his cell.
• In April 2018, Joseph Pagen’s death following a fight was investigated as a homicide, the corrections department said.
• In March 2018, Benjamin Snyder died following an inmate fight; the corrections department investigated his death as a homicide.
Jail/prison deaths in Lowndes County have drawn scrutiny through the years.
According to Valdosta State Prison’s website, the facility consists of 10 General Population units with 500 beds, six Mental Health units with 264 beds, 25 Isolation beds plus 12 Acute Care Unit beds and four Crisis Stabilization Unit beds. The Annex contains 554 General Population beds. Of those beds, 100 are designated as Residential Substance Abuse Center beds. This facility also houses a Special Management Unit (SMU), a C.E.R.T. Team, Tactical Squad and a Canine Unit.
