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Butts, Melvin
Status: active
Profile written June 28, 2026
This profile reflects positional accountability — this individual held the leadership roles shown during the dates shown, during which the listed deaths or lawsuits occurred. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding of personal culpability for any specific incident.
Tenure Summary
Melvin Butts has been employed with the Georgia Department of Corrections in various roles since at least 2015, progressing from Correction Operations and Business Operations Manager positions to Deputy Warden in 2018. According to GPS records, Butts has held the Deputy Warden title continuously from 2018 through 2025, with the known facility assignment of McRae Women’s Facility beginning in January 2025. During his tenure at McRae as a facility deputy‑level leader, a total of five deaths were attributed to that facility. No lawsuits naming Butts as a defendant appear in the record, and no news reports or intelligence alerts have been linked to his leadership periods.What happened on his watch
McRae Women’s Facility (Deputy Warden, January 2025 – present)
GPS records show that five incarcerated women died at McRae Women’s Facility while Butts served as Deputy Warden. All five deaths occurred between July 2025 and May 2026. The decedents ranged in age from 23 to 59. Four deaths share a recorded cause category of 6; the fifth, Jadia Corine Rozier, is categorized under cause category 3. The circumstances underlying these cause codes are not specified in the available records.The earliest death was that of Jadia Corine Rozier, 23, on July 20, 2025. GPS research notes that a habeas corpus case has been filed in relation to her death, and her obituary appeared through Mathis Funeral Home. The remaining four deaths cluster in 2026: Beverly Suzannne Sipple, 59, on March 16; Kristal Lyn Layne, 55, on May 10; Shannon Michelle Rush, 43, on May 16; and Chasity King, 26, on May 18. Three of the five deaths therefore occurred within an eight‑day span in May 2026.
No internal intelligence reports, investigative findings, or news articles have been linked to Butts’ tenure at McRae, and no civil litigation has been filed against him personally in connection with any of these incidents. The habeas corpus matter related to Rozier is noted but details of the filing are not provided in the assembled data.
Sources
- GPS records — compiled death records for McRae Women’s Facility during Deputy Warden Melvin Butts’ assignment, including incident dates, ages, and cause categories for five decedents.
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | McRAE WOMEN’S FACILITY | 2025-01-01 → present |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | 2018-01-01 → 2024-12-31 | |
| MGR, BUSINESS OPS | 2016-01-01 → 2017-12-31 | |
| CORRECTION OPERATIONS | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Deaths attributed during tenure
5 people died at facilities under Butts, Melvin's leadership.
| Date | Decedent | Age | Facility | Role at time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | CHASITY KING | 26 | McRAE WOMEN’S FACILITY | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2026-05-16 | SHANNON MICHELLE RUSH | 43 | McRAE WOMEN’S FACILITY | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2026-05-10 | KRISTAL LYN LAYNE | 55 | McRAE WOMEN’S FACILITY | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2026-03-16 | BEVERLY SUZANNNE SIPPLE | 59 | McRAE WOMEN’S FACILITY | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2025-07-20 | JADIA CORINE ROZIER | 23 | McRAE WOMEN’S FACILITY | DEPUTY WARDEN |
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