JONESBORO — The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Thursday incident where a Clayton County Jail inmate fatally attacked his cellmate.
According to Clayton County Jail records, Abdul Hosea Woodward, 43, of 236 Forest St., Atlanta, is charged with felony murder, aggravated murder, and terroristic threats and acts in connection to the incident.
He was in the jail on charges of unlawful removal of baggage/cargo from terminal. According to Clayton County Court records, Woodward has a preliminary hearing Jan. 24 at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom in Clayton Magistrate Court on those charges.
Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen told 11Alive that inmates alerted of an attack at the jail just before 4 p.m. Thursday.
It was also reported that the victim, Johnathan Pettigrew, was supposed to be released from the jail within a week.
Allen said the two inmates were in the same cell because of overcrowding.
In a recent Clayton County Board of Commissioners meeting, Allen told commissioners that the jail had about 1,800 inmates — about 300 over capacity.
Over the last several months, Allen has approached the County Commission to get more money to deal with several issues as the jail — including overcrowding.
One of his proposals was a modular jail to house non-violent offenders.
Thursday’s murder was the second at the jail since November.
On Nov. 19, inmate Jaquez Jackson was arrested in what was described as a racially-motivated attack against a Hispanic inmate.
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