JONESBORO — The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a racially-motivated murder at the Clayton County Jail.
The CCSO announced Monday, Nov. 20 that on Nov. 19, inmate Jaquez Jackson, 22, of Columbus, “brutally beat his cell mate with his bare hands, viciously punching, kicking, and slamming his head on the toilet.”
The CCSO said the victim, who was not named, was murdered “simply because of the color of his skin.”
During the investigation, the CCSO learned Jackson said several times to investigators that he does not like Mexican/Hispanics and wanted to kill them.
Jackson has been charged with murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, and starting a penal riot.
The CCSO said the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have been contacted. Inmate Jackson was in jail on a violation of probation on several charges including simple battery, simple assault, criminal trespass, battery, terroristic threats, and obstruction of an officer.
On April 20, 2022, Jackson was sentenced to five years — one year in jail and four years of probation.
On Oct. 11, 2023, Jackson’s probation was revoked and he was sentenced to serve one year in prison awaiting acceptance from Georgia Department of Corrections.
The Clayton County Jail has a capacity of 1,536 beds, placing two inmates in a cell but the CCSO said jail is currently at about 1,900 inmates — placing the inmates on the floor and three inmates in a cell.
In Monday’s statement, the CCSO said that “for the past 11 months, Sheriff Levon Allen and all five (county commissioners) have been working together diligently to make improvements to the Jail and its current conditions.”
The Board has approved more than $5 million in additional/emergency funds for several improvements to the jail — including…
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