2 former Augusta prison guards indicted in inmate death

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Two former correctional officers at Augusta State Medical Prison have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the 2020 death of an inmate who died from smoke inhalation after they allegedly ignored a fire in his cell.

What we know:

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Robert Roberson and Marcus Phillips were each charged with violating the inmate’s constitutional rights by showing deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm. Roberson also faces a second charge of falsifying a logbook in an effort to cover up the incident.

According to the indictment, on October 28, 2020, the officers became aware of a smoldering fire inside an inmate’s locked cell but failed to take action. 

They allegedly did not extinguish the fire, evacuate the inmate, call for emergency assistance, or remediate the smoke. Instead, the inmate remained in the cell for several hours and died from smoke inhalation.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Augusta Resident Agency. Prosecutors include Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kirkland for the Southern District of Georgia, Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras, and Trial Attorney Briana M. Clark of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.

What's next:

Roberson and Phillips have not yet entered pleas. As with all indictments, the charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.