A 31-year-old Savannah man died after jail staff saw him swallow an unknown substance inside the Chatham County Jail, and state agents are now investigating.
What’s happening: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the death of Michael James Waller Jr., an inmate at the Chatham County Jail. The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to investigate the case.
What we know: On Sunday, Feb. 8, at about 10:30 p.m., jail staff saw Waller ingest an unknown substance. He was moved to a separate cell and monitored for several hours. Waller later began showing medical symptoms and was taken to a local hospital, where he died.
What happens next: Waller’s body will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab in Pooler for an autopsy. When the investigation is complete, the case file will go to the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
Sources: Georgia Bureau of Investigation
