Inmate, worker killed in murder-suicide had ‘personal relationship,’ GA officials say
UPDATE: The food service employee killed in a murder-suicide inside a state prison had a “personal relationship” with the inmate accused of killing her, the Georgia Department of Corrections said.
It’s not clear how long inmate Jaydrekus Hart and Aureon Shavea Grace were involved.
A suicide note was also found at the scene, according to officials.
GDC didn’t release additional details but called the shooting “an isolated incident” that’s being investigated.
The original story continues below.
A food service employee was shot to death by an inmate in an apparent murder-suicide inside a Georgia prison, according to the state’s Department of Corrections.
It happened at about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, June 16, at Smith State Prison, a close security facility in Glennville, officials said.
Inmate Jaydrekus Hart fatally shot Aureon Shavea Grace, 24, while working in the prison’s kitchen, according to authorities. Grace was a food service employee with Aramark.
Hart then was pronounced dead by suicide at a hospital, officials said.
The weapon was confiscated by corrections officials. Authorities said it’s unclear how Hart got ahold of a gun.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of our colleague, and our hearts and prayers go out to her family,” Aramark spokesperson Debbie Albert told WXIA in a statement. “This is a tragedy for all of us.”
Officials said Hart was serving a 20-year sentence on charges of voluntary manslaughter in Carroll County. His maximum release date was June 2043.
Authorities didn’t release additional details but said the investigation is ongoing.
Glennville is about a 65-mile drive southwest from Savannah.
This story was originally published June 17, 2024 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Inmate, worker killed in murder-suicide had ‘personal relationship,’ GA officials say."