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Carr, Willie E
Status: active
Profile written August 2, 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
Willie E. Carr rose through the ranks of the Georgia Department of Corrections over nearly two decades, starting as a correctional officer at Dodge State Prison in 2007. He later served as a sergeant at Johnson State Prison, then held unit-level leadership as a correctional lieutenant (2016–2018) and correctional unit manager (2019–2020). After a period in administrative support, he returned to Johnson as a Business Support Analyst in early 2024 before being promoted to Deputy Warden of Security in November 2024 and subsequently to Deputy Warden in 2025. GPS records attribute 30 deaths to his leadership tenure—all at Johnson State Prison during his time as deputy warden. No lawsuits name Carr as a defendant, though the facility saw a $4 million settlement for an earlier homicide while he held the deputy warden post.What happened on their watch
Johnson State Prison — Unit Manager (2019–2020)
As a Correctional Unit Manager, Carr oversaw housing units at Johnson. GPS records do not attribute any deaths to his leadership tier during this period, but the prison recorded a homicide while he held the role: Jerry Lee Brown, 61, died from stab wounds and blunt-force trauma on November 12, 2020. The state later paid a $1.45 million settlement to Brown’s family.Johnson State Prison — Deputy Warden of Security / Deputy Warden (November 2024–present)
Carr assumed the top security role at Johnson in November 2024. Over the following nineteen months, GPS records document 30 deaths at the facility—the highest concentration under any single leader in the GPS dataset for Johnson.The deaths span a range of causes. At least seven are classified as homicides, including:
- Michael Elias Peschel, 36, died on March 14, 2026, after suffering 20 stab wounds from his cellmate. GPS notes state the cellmate “had previously engaged in a confrontation with officers during visitation two weeks prior and should have been housed alone.”
- Phillip Lamar Byrd, 46, was reportedly “beaten multiple times, locked outside in the cold, then shot up with drugs till he overdosed” in January 2026, according to prisoner reports collected by GPS. He was due for release that June.
- Paul Russell Brewster, 48, died in June 2025; prisoner reports initially listed the death as a homicide.
- Kevin Kosturi, 29, and Justin Brandon Hulett, 38, both died in December 2024 and February 2025, respectively, with their obituaries and media reports confirming their passing at Johnson.
- Martrese Jamon McKay, 30, collapsed in April 2026; initial reports suggested suicide, but subsequent information indicated he “just dropped dead,” leaving the cause unclear and under investigation, per Telegram relays gathered by GPS. The death is categorized as a suicide in the official file.
Other deaths attributed to Carr’s watch include natural causes (many involving older incarcerated men in their 60s to 90s) and one accident (Anthony Shivers, 41, in February 2026).
The deputy warden tenure also overlapped with systemic facility incidents. In April 2026, internal reports and GPS submissions documented contaminated food trays with dark residue, causing illness among prisoners after a dishwashing equipment failure. A whistleblower account from former GDC CERT Commander Tyler Ryals describes a spring 2024 incident at Johnson where a single officer was left to confront a drug-induced crisis with only four staff for the entire 1,400‑man compound; Ryals also recounts a prior stabbing of a female officer running showers alone. The extreme understaffing pattern he described was a known condition at the facility before Carr’s promotion.
On April 11, 2026, the state announced a $4 million settlement with the family of David Lamar Henegar, who had been beaten and strangled by his cellmate at Johnson in October 2021. The lawsuit alleged officers ignored screams and pleas for hours, and that the attacker had a documented history of violence and mental illness. Though the death occurred years before Carr’s deputy warden role, the settlement became public during his tenure, highlighting a persistent legacy of safety failures at Johnson.
Sources
- GPS internal records — career timeline, death logs, and facility incident reports (including contraband and whistleblower accounts)
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — coverage of the David Henegar homicide, lawsuit, and $4 million settlement (2025–2026)
- Tyler C. Ryals (YouTube channel) — firsthand account of understaffing and safety breakdowns at Johnson State Prison, spring 2024
- GA Department of Administrative Services Risk Management settlement ledger — settlements tied to Johnson State Prison (Jerry Brown, 2020; Betty Wade/Henegar, 2021)
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2025-01-01 → present |
| Deputy Warden of Security | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2024-11-01 → 2025-03-31 |
| BUSI SUPPORT ANALYST 1 | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2024-01-01 → 2024-10-31 |
| BUSI SUPPORT ANALYST 1 | 2021-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | |
| CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2019-01-01 → 2020-12-31 |
| CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2018-12-31 |
| CORRECTIONS OFFICER (SP) | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
| Sergeant | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2014-01-01 → 2014-12-31 |
| Sergeant | DODGE STATE PRISON | 2013-01-01 → 2013-12-31 |
| Correctional Officer | DODGE STATE PRISON | 2007-01-01 → 2007-12-31 |
Deaths attributed during tenure
30 people died at facilities under Carr, Willie E's leadership.
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