Former Fulton jailer convicted of obstructing justice
A federal jury on Thursday convicted a former Fulton County sheriff's deputy of obstructing an FBI investigation into the abuse of inmates at the sprawling county jail.
Mitnee Markette Jones was found guilty of lying on reports and giving false statements to FBI agents and to a federal grand jury. At the time, federal authorities were investigating the death of Richard Glasco, a mentally unstable inmate who died at the jail on March 18, 2008.
During opening statements of the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Jordan told jurors that once FBI agents began investigating Glasco's death, they were "met with lies and deception and pretty much a brick wall."
Jones was one of four jailers who entered Glasco's cell after he had been screaming and banging for hours, Jordan said. After the jailers entered Glasco's cell, a roommate across the hall heard a scream and then silence, Jordan told jurors. She added that the window on Glasco's door was shattered, with blood and remnants of skin on the glass.
Of the four jailers who entered Glasco's cell, Jones and former jailer Derontay Langford, who pleaded guilty, have been convicted. Jailer Chantae Taylor was not charged. Former jailer Curtis Jerome Brown Jr., who was on trial with Jones but changed lawyers, will be tried later. No one has been charged with killing Glasco.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
