A 60-year-old inmate was found dead Friday morning at the Fayette County Jail.
Jail staff discovered Robert Lee Stevenson unresponsive in an infirmary cell. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
As a standard practice, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested by the Sheriff to lead the investigation and will report findings directly to the Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
Stevenson was being held without bond on the following felony charges and misdemeanor charges:
Homicide by Vehicle 1st Degree
Reckless Driving
Hit and Run Resulting in Serious Injury or Death
Failure to Maintain Lane
Driving under the Influence
Littering on the Highway
Open Container
Duty to Report Accident
“The GBI is the lead agency for full transparency and I will defer any investigatory questions to be directed to that Agency or our District Attorney’s Office,” said Sheriff Barry H. Babb. “I will note that no force has been used by our staff or any physical altercations took place with Mr. Stevenson. The initial scene findings presented signs of self-inflicted injury that resulted in death. Mr. Stevenson was the single occupant in an infirmary cell.”
“I went to the scene of the original incident on February 10, 2022, to assist and personally supervise the fatal crash investigation and arrest that followed,” Babb said. “This morning I was present with the GBI in our jail to facilitate in every way possible this investigation. During this time, our chief deputy and chaplain notified Mr. Stevenson’s next of kin. I have also spoken to the father of the fatal homicide crash victim, Russell Logan, to prepare his family for this news.”
“This tragedy in our community continues to widen and has terribly affected these two families. It is my prayer and anyone willing to join me in lifting these families and the faculty and students at Starr’s Mill High School as they continue to process, grieve, and recover from this heartbreak,” Babb said.
