SOAKED IN WASTE: Clayton County Jail ignored a dying man for days

A 57-year-old Jonesboro man held at the Clayton County Jail died last year after spending days lying in his own urine and feces, unable to get up, eat, or use the restroom, and the county medical examiner has ruled his death a homicide.

What happened: Scott Clyde Worthy died September 6, 2025, at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where he had been taken a week earlier from the jail. He had been there since August 30. The medical examiner’s office certified his cause of death as complications of a bacterial blood infection caused by medical neglect and uninhabitable living conditions while he was in custody.

What Worthy told paramedics: When emergency medical workers arrived, Worthy was alert and told them he had not been able to get up for about four days. He said he had not eaten because cellmates were stealing his food before he could reach it. He said he had been urinating and defecating on himself because he could not get up to use the restroom. The paramedic who responded described Worthy’s clothing as soaked in bodily fluids and noted a strong smell of urine and feces. The paramedic later said Worthy appeared not to have been cleaned or changed in several days.

What jail staff said: A jail officer told paramedics that daily inmate checks had not been conducted properly by patrol officers. Jail medical staff told paramedics they had never seen Worthy before and did not know how long he had been in that condition. Doctors at Grady and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Worthy may have been lying on a mat in his own waste without bathing for several days to weeks. The medical examiner’s office noted no video footage was available to establish a clearer timeline.

His condition when he left the jail: When jail medical staff examined Worthy on August 30, they found severe and widespread skin damage, including blistering, skin detachment, and areas of dead tissue. He was taken by ambulance to Grady Memorial Hospital. An autopsy performed by the GBI found bacterial skin infections. Blood tests during his hospital stay confirmed a Group A Streptococcus infection. He developed septic shock, organ failure, and other complications before he died.

How the ruling was made: The GBI medical examiner initially classified the manner of death as undetermined but noted that Worthy’s living conditions in custody could have contributed to the infection and that medical neglect could not be ruled out. After additional investigation and witness interviews, the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that failures to recognize and respond to Worthy’s deteriorating condition while he was in custody materially contributed to his death. The office then classified the manner of death as homicide.

What the homicide ruling means: The medical examiner’s office noted that a homicide classification is a medical and forensic finding. It does not by itself establish criminal intent, criminal responsibility, or legal guilt.

Worthy, who was born in Massachusetts and lived in Jonesboro, had a bachelor’s degree and worked as a self-employed delivery driver. He was cremated September 12, 2025.