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McDay, Courtney
Status: active
Profile written May 31, 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
Courtney McDay began working for the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2015 as a behavioral health counselor, a role she held through 2021. In 2022 she was promoted to Deputy Warden at Phillips State Prison, a facility-leadership position she continues to hold. GPS records attribute 51 deaths to her leadership tenure at Phillips, all occurring between 2022 and early 2026. During this time, the prison experienced a series of inmate homicides alongside a large number of deaths from medical conditions, while a federal investigation documented that a gang-related killing at the facility ignited a multi-prison gang war, and news reports alleged staff involvement in arranging one of those fatal assaults.What happened on their watch
As Deputy Warden at Phillips State Prison from 2022 through at least early 2026, McDay’s tenure saw 51 in-custody deaths, according to GPS records. The deaths include several homicides documented by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s investigation into Georgia prison killings. Among them: Jamal Cymonne Johnson, 32, died on June 11, 2022, from stab wounds to the head; Sidney Neally, 22, on July 18, 2022, from stab wounds to the torso; Jacob Daniels, 18, on August 13, 2022, from a stab wound to the neck, shoulder, and arm; Quafabian McBride, 19, on September 30, 2022, from stab wounds to the chest in a gang-related attack—the AJC reported that officers allegedly arranged for McBride to be brought to the lockdown unit that day; Alim Lovett, 33, on December 8, 2022, from stab wounds to the back; Arthur Wimbush, 46, on April 2, 2023, from blunt-force trauma with a fractured thyroid cartilage; David Fambro, 69, on July 24, 2024, from complications of facial fractures, classified as a homicide; Brandon Mincey, 37, on October 11, 2024, after being stabbed by other inmates, per WTOC and FOX 5 Atlanta; Corey Cochran, 29, in December 2024, with family reporting the cause unknown; and Jody Stokes, who died on January 13, 2025, of homicide by strangulation.The DOJ investigation found that the McBride homicide triggered a gang war across multiple Georgia prisons, with Bloods attacking Crips and 20 prisoners hospitalized in the days that followed. The facility also recorded numerous deaths from medical causes, including individuals ranging in age from 18 (Thomas Dean, 2024) to 86 (John Neale, 2024). While the 2017 suicide of Demitri Carter—which resulted in a $700,000 settlement in 2025—predated McDay’s deputy warden tenure, the AJC separately reported an allegation that Dave Stone, 61, was assaulted in a mental health ward with pipes wrapped in cloth and later died from closed head trauma in November 2021, also before McDay assumed the deputy role.
Litigation
- Wright v. Mcday, No. 1:23-cv-04358 (N.D. Ga. filed Sept. 25, 2023) — the case is pending; no disposition has been entered.
Sources
- GPS records — death totals, individual decedent data, and position history
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — “Ga prison homicides: A list of those killed in Georgia’s prison system” (multiple Phillips homicides and officer-complicity allegation)
- Department of Justice — investigation finding the gang war ignited by the McBride homicide
- WTOC / FOX 5 Atlanta — coverage of the Mincey stabbing death
- CourtListener — docket for Wright v. Mcday
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | PHILLIPS STATE PRISON | 2022-01-01 → present |
| BEHAVIORAL HLTH COUNSELOR 2 | 2016-01-01 → 2021-12-31 | |
| BEH HEALTH/COUNSELOR (WL) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:23-cv-04358 | GAND | 2023-09-25 | pending |
Deaths attributed during tenure
51 people died at facilities under McDay, Courtney's leadership.
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